Author Says Royal Family Should've Acted Faster With Andrew

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor wearing a navy suit walking in front of a bush — (Image credit: Getty Images)

Following the release of additional Epstein files, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has, once again, found himself connected to convicted sex offender and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. In particular, one royal author believes that the Royal Family had "plenty of opportunities to discipline" the ex-Duke of York.

Royal biographer Andrew Lownie—author of Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York—told the Daily Mail, "[The Royal Family] had plenty of opportunities to discipline Andrew, to remove him from his posts in the past to deal with him, but they've only done so because of public pressure and media pressure."

Lownie continued, "But I don't think any of this will come as a surprise to the palace. They've been bracing themselves for the stuff to emerge at some point."

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Ex-Prince Andrew wearing a red tie and suit standing in front of a yellow brick wall — "I don't think any of this will come as a surprise to the palace."

Andrew Lownie

'Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York'

Lownie also suggested that Ferguson and Andrew wouldn't be able to make any sort of comeback following the newest set of Epstein allegations. "I'm afraid their reputations are absolutely in the dust," the author told the outlet. "Neither of them can ever recover from what's been emerging."

The biographer also referenced his own research into the former Duke and Duchess of York, saying, "This is only a very small percentage of the material the [Department of Justice] DOJ collected. There's also more material with the Epstein estate, which they could release if they wished to."

Lownie also condemned Andrew, alleging that the former royal had insight into Epstein's criminal activities. "Andrew was very integral to the whole operation," the biographer noted. "He would have seen everything, he would have known an awful lot."

Prince Andrew standing against a stone wall in a suit and tie — "[The Royal Family] had plenty of opportunities to discipline Andrew."

The author continued, "In the last few years, he's refused to apologize to the victims in any of the statements. He's never cooperated with law enforcement or the victim's lawyers. He is deeply, deeply implicated."

As reported by People, Epstein allegedly sent an email to Andrew September 27, 2010, saying that he would "need private time" with the ex-duke. Just one month prior, Epstein had completed his house arrest sentence after pleading guilty to "solicitation of prostitution and solicitation of prostitution with a minor under the age of 18."

It appears as though, regardless of Epstein's serious convictions, Andrew seemingly remained in contact with the disgraced businessman.

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Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.