Andrew stripped of titles: redemption for the royals?
King Charles has stripped his scandal-ridden brother Andrew of all his royal titles and evicted him from his residence at Windsor Castle. The king's decision comes in response to revelations in the posthumously published memoirs of Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who accused the British prince of repeatedly abusing her as a minor under the aegis of Jeffrey Epstein.
Elizabeth II messed up on Andrew
King Charles is right to pull the leash on Andrew, the Irish Examiner believes:
“Just how many headlines can one man make? And that is what Andrew has become - a human headline. ... As much as the late Queen Elizabeth II is still revered and nobody ever says a bad word about her in Britain, she royally messed up with her response to the allegations swirling around her so-called 'favourite son'. She buried her head in the sand, avoided the newspapers and only lifted her head when she was asked to find £12m to settle out of court with Virginia Giuffre. ... That was some inheritance to pass on to Charles. To his credit, he has dealt with it. But is this really the end?”
Monarchy's image in tatters
NRC sees the royal family on the defensive:
“Charles and, according to British media, above all his son William are busy trying to protect the monarchy. The palace is no longer able to have the family portrayed as it wants in the media - paying visits to vulnerable people and charities. Last Monday Charles was booed during an official visit, when someone asked him how long he had known about the ties between Epstein and Andrew.”
An institution that's hard to defend
The Guardian feels vindicated in its criticism of the monarchy:
“It is six years since the notorious BBC Newsnight interview that led to the then prince giving up his public duties. Ever since, outrage at his conduct and impunity has formed part of the febrile mix of emotions around the royal family. ... The Guardian has long been critical of the royal family, and [Andrew] Mountbatten Windsor has come to represent everything that makes it hard to defend: entitled, venal and out of touch with the people it seeks to serve.”