President Donald Trump says he sympathizes with members of the British Royal Family as they deal with the ongoing scandal over former Prince Andrew’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.
Last week, Buckingham Palace dropped a bombshell, stripping Andrew of his royal titles and honors over his troubling ties to Epstein, the notorious financier and convicted pedophile.
After being stripped of his titles by his brother, King Charles III, the former prince is now known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor.
The saga, steeped in scandal, centers on Andrew’s loss of his titles, military ranks, and even his home at Royal Lodge.
It follows intense scrutiny over allegations of sexual abuse and a damning new posthumous memoir by his late accuser, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, the Daily Mail reported.
Andrew’s association with Epstein, a man whose child sex crimes shocked the world, has haunted the monarchy for years.
Giuffre accused Andrew Mountbatten Windsor of raping her on three separate occasions when she was just 17.
Despite his denials, the stain refused to wash out.
Fast forward to last week, when the palace announced Andrew would no longer carry the title of prince and must vacate Royal Lodge, a cushy residence he’s lived in, rent-free, for two decades.
The official statement on Thursday night cemented his new identity as plain Andrew Mountbatten Windsor.
King Charles and his advisers made it clear this was non-negotiable.
Sources say the King was fed up with Andrew’s refusal to fully sever ties with Epstein, despite public claims otherwise.
The scandal surrounding his brother’s ties to Epstein has been so engulfing that it has dominated the King’s reign.
No government meddling here, just a monarch cleaning house.
Adding insult to injury, Andrew’s last military honor, the honorary rank of vice-admiral awarded in 2015, was also pulled on Sunday, as confirmed by Defense Secretary John Healey.
Healey noted the Ministry of Defense would bow to the King’s rulings, leaving open whether Andrew might cling to his Falklands War medals or active-service rank of commander.
A naval career spanning back to 1979, now reduced to a question mark.
The heat turned up last month with the posthumous release of Giuffre’s memoir, “Nobody’s Girl.”
It was published after her tragic, sudden passing at 41.
In excerpts shared by The Guardian, she paints Andrew as “entitled,” alleging he viewed intimacy as his “birthright” and even thanked her in a “clipped British accent” after an alleged encounter.
That’s a chilling image no amount of royal polish can scrub away.
Andrew, predictably, denies every word, though he settled out of court with Giuffre in 2022 for millions of pounds.
If silence is golden, that payout was a treasure chest, but it hasn’t quieted the storm.
Now, anti-monarchy groups like Republic are pushing for private prosecution over allegations of assault and misconduct.
Pressure is also mounting across the pond, with calls for Andrew to testify before the U.S. House Oversight Committee about Epstein’s network.
At 65, he’s described as unrepentant, a stance that reportedly pushed King Charles to his limit.
Stubbornness might be a family trait, but it’s not winning any crowns here.
On Sunday, President Trump weighed in while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One.
The president offered a rare moment of compassion for the royals.
“It’s a terrible thing that’s happened to the (royal) family,” Trump said.
“I feel bad for the family,” he added.
Trump’s words here carry a tone of genuine regret for a dynasty under siege.
Meanwhile, Mountbatten Windsor’s personal life is in upheaval as he prepares to relocate to a Sandringham estate property, details still murky.
His ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, is also charting her own path away from Windsor Castle grounds.
It’s a stark reminder that titles don’t shield you from consequences.
The Royal Lodge exit wasn’t even contested.
Mountbatten Windsor, as leaseholder, served notice himself, a sign he knew the jig was up.
Reports suggest Charles had warned of harsher measures if any titles were clung to after the Epstein deception.
No room for negotiation when trust is this broken.
Giuffre’s family, meanwhile, isn’t letting her fight fade, with her brother Skye and sister-in-law Amanda declaring:
“Today, an ordinary American girl from an ordinary American family brought down a British prince with her truth and extraordinary courage.”
That’s a powerful epitaph, one that underscores why this story won’t vanish quietly.
It’s a rallying cry for accountability, even if it grates against those who’d rather protect old institutions.
Mountbatten Windsor’s fall is a cautionary tale that privilege isn’t a free pass, and in today’s world, justice, or at least its pursuit, can topple even a prince.
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