Last week, the FBI released a memo claiming that there is no client list naming those involved in the crimes of the late billionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. The FBI also alleged that Epstein did indeed die by suicide.
Royal experts are speaking out in response to say that this means that Prince Andrew can end his self-imposed travel ban. However, they made sure to add that Andrew is still very much in the dog house when it comes to the royal family due to his past ties with Epstein.
Andrew Is An ‘Embarrassment’ To The Royals
“Prince Andrew remains an embarrassment to the royal family,” royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told Fox News. “No one has forgotten his infamous Newsnight interview or the photograph with Epstein… He continues to be seen as an entitled imbecile.”
Andrew, 66, stepped down as a working royal in 2019. This came after a disastrous Newsnight interview in which he tried to explain his friendship with Epstein. Unfortunately for Andrew, however, this interview backfired, as it only made him look more suspicious. In the years since then, Andrew has been laying low.
“He can only be seen with the royal family inside a church without attracting fiercely negative comment,” Fitzwilliams continued. “[But] unless he accepts that he has been found guilty in the court of public opinion and… [shows] some repentance or, at the very least, something positive which helps others, at his best, his future is well behind him.”
FBI Claims There’s No Epstein ‘Client List’
This comes after the FBI released a memo announcing their Epstein filings.
“This systemic review revealed no incriminating ‘client list,’” the memo reads. “There was also no credible evidence found that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals as part of his actions. We did not uncover evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties.”
The FBI’s memo came as good news to Andrew, who has reportedly only left the United Kingdom “once” since his past ties to Epstein were revealed to the world. This was a big change for Andrew, who previously traveled so much that he earned himself the nickname “Air Miles Andy.”
“He has been abroad once since the scandal erupted,” a source told The Sun. “He has always been very nervous about going abroad and felt he’d always be looking over his shoulder as he could be subject to civil action or at worst, being arrested.’
“Hopefully with this out of the way it means he can at least leave the country,” the insider added. “What’s he supposed to do with the rest of his life? He hasn’t been convicted of any crime and can’t sit around doing nothing at Royal Lodge forever.”
Andrew Still In Hot Water
Royal expert Hilary Fordwich chimed in to say that while Andrew can travel as he pleases, he will likely continue to keep his head down. She believes he will do this in the hopes of avoiding humiliation and scrutiny.
“While Andrew might be feeling a sense of relief and cautious optimism, being now technically able to travel, both his personal and public prospects remain constrained by the enduring negative fallout, as well as his frightfully tarnished reputation from the Epstein scandal,” Fordwich explained.
“The media will [still] be relentless and most certainly not positive,” she added. “They will also be more likely to be hostile, as well as embarrassing to the royal family, if he does travel to the U.S. He is not likely to ever regain public favor either nor return to any prominence.”
Royals Distance Themselves From Andrew
Buckingham Palace has tried to distance themselves from Andrew. When asked to comment on him, the palace would only say that they can’t speak for Andrew because he is no longer a working royal.
Andrew was stripped of his royal titles by his mother Queen Elizabeth in 2022, months before her death. Prior to that, Andrew had been viewed as the Queen’s personal favorite of her four children.
“He lost all his royal patronages and military roles,” Fordwich continued. “There is no indication whatsoever that King Charles III, or any senior royal, ever intends to rehabilitate his public image nor to restore his former status in any way.”
“Senior royals are far more concerned with protecting the institution’s reputation,” she concluded. “Anything Andrew does is seen as… a liability. Prince William remains adamant regarding severely restricting any options for participation at all. So, he might travel, but not in any formal capacity.”
Andrew Is ‘Guilty By Association’
Kinsey Schofield, host of the To Di for Daily podcast, has said that Andrew’s reputation has been destroyed forever by this. In the end, she believes that there is nothing he can do to change that.
“Andrew needs to avoid being seen or heard for the rest of King Charles’ reign,” Schofield said. “If you want to attend church with your family, fine — stay 100 feet behind them when photographers are around.”
“Otherwise, he should continue… horse riding privately on the property that King Charles asked him to surrender,” she concluded. “Whether he’s innocent of the initial accusations is irrelevant. He’s guilty by association with Jeffrey Epstein.”
Andrew himself has yet to publicly respond to the FBI’s latest Epstein memo. It will certainly be interesting to see what becomes of Andrew in the future!
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