Andrew has been stripped of most of his titles and removed from royal duties in recent years because of his friendship with the late American financier Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender, and a related sexual assault allegation.
In February 2022, Andrew completed a lawsuit in which a woman accused him of sexually assaulting her when she was a teenager. He has not been charged with any criminal offense and has always denied any wrongdoing.
Andrew was reputed to have been the favorite son of the late Queen Elizabeth, but the scandal was too much for her. The prince has rarely appeared in public since his fall from grace.
A Royal Navy veteran of the Falklands War, Andrew was not allowed to wear his military uniform during the two solemn processions that followed the Queen’s death in September, one in Edinburgh and one in London, when he and his three brothers walked behind their mother’s coffin.
As the Queen’s coffin was carried through the streets of Edinburgh, an Englishman booed: “Andrew, you are a sick old man.”
The incident reflected at least part of the public opinion about the prince. A YouGov poll published this week revealed that he is the least liked member of the royal family.
Years ago, Andrew was a popular figure. The tabloids had nicknamed him the “Playboy Prince” as they gleefully reported on his love life, and he gained respect for his service as a helicopter pilot in the Falklands.
His 1986 marriage to Sarah Ferguson was seen at the time as bringing a breath of fresh air to a suffocating establishment.
Everything went crazy gradually and then suddenly. As a roving trade ambassador, he earned the nickname “Air Miles Andy” for his frequent travels, which often involved rounds of golf. His marriage ended in divorce in 1996. The media criticized him for what was described as an authoritarian behavior and an overly luxurious lifestyle.
But it was the Epstein “affair” that brought Andrew the real shame. His effort to clarify this association in a 2019 television interview was seen as backfiring – with some of his justifications for his actions being widely ridiculed.
Andrew remains eighth in line to the throne, and British media have speculated that he may still have hopes of returning to public life.
Last month, Andrew’s ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, with whom he remains close, said in a televised interview that the prince is a good man.
“He’s a good and kind man and I think the spotlight needs to go off him and let him get on with his life and rebuild,” she said.
But royal watchers believe a return to favor is highly unlikely, especially since Charles has talked about a scaled-down monarchy with fewer working royals.
According to British media, the king also wants his brother to move out of the mansion he has occupied for years in the royal estate of Windsor and live in a smaller house.
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