Essayer OR - Gratuit
Untitled but entitled Andrew can't escape Epstein shadow
The Independent
|October 26, 2025
If I start this column by declaring I want to talk about two different committees - one, the public accounts committee at Westminster, and the other the congressional oversight committee in Washington – you would have every right to roll over in bed and go back to sleep, or indeed embark on those DIY jobs that you've been putting off for months.
But if we throw the name Prince Andrew into the mix, and the threat that both could pose to him as he stays holed up in Royal Lodge, then I think it might just get your attention. In Britain this week - with what looked like a coordinated move from the leader of the Liberal Democrats and the prime minister - Sir Keir Starmer, in reply to a carefully crafted question from Sir Ed Davey, seemed to indicate that he was open to a parliamentary select committee examining the lease granted to the prince for his pad in Windsor Great Park - and yes, talking to the tenant himself.
Will it happen? I frankly doubt it. Parliamentary tradition is that you don't go near the royal family. You can scarcely mention the sovereign without the speaker crying "order". Look at it this way: the last time a member of the royal family was summoned before parliament, it was Charles I - and that didn't end well for the king.
This looks more like a way of increasing the pressure on the disgraced prince to leave the sprawling mansion on which he pays a peppercorn rent. The present King Charles can't impose internal exile (maybe a more humble ghillie's cottage on the Balmoral estate) but the political class can add a little pressure by suggesting an appearance before a Commons select committee.
But in America, there is no need for such deference. What's more, there isn't any. This was a country that came into being by getting rid of our royal family. It is also worth underlining that the Jeffrey Epstein saga still rages. There is fury - on right and left - that among all the powerful men who cavorted on Epstein's island, the only person convicted is a woman, Ghislaine Maxwell.
Cette histoire est tirée de l'édition October 26, 2025 de The Independent.
Abonnez-vous à Magzter GOLD pour accéder à des milliers d'histoires premium sélectionnées et à plus de 9 000 magazines et journaux.
Déjà abonné ? Se connecter
PLUS D'HISTOIRES DE The Independent
The Independent
Asda boss accuses Labour of 'constraining' companies
Labour is not doing enough to support business and has become “more and more difficult” to deal with, Asda’s chief has warned.
2 mins
March 05, 2026
The Independent
After 20 years, this could be Hamilton's last shot at glory
For Lewis Hamilton, bouncing vigorously into this weekend's season-opener in Melbourne once again, there is another record to add to the collection.
4 mins
March 05, 2026
The Independent
Should I wait to book my autumn flights to the US?
Q I am planning to visit the US in September. Should I book flights now or nearer the time?
1 mins
March 05, 2026
The Independent
THE DEVIL YOU KNOW
Landlords aren't normally our favourite people, so it's easy to grasp the appeal of renting from a friend. But this setup can come with its own tribulations, as Katie Rosseinsky finds out
6 mins
March 05, 2026
The Independent
Favourites India wary of the game's most awkward team
England have bundled their way to today's T20 World Cup semi-final, writes Lawrence Ostlere, but their unpredictable form might prove their greatest weapon against the hosts
4 mins
March 05, 2026
The Independent
Help! The person I'm dating hasn't called me in six hours
The Indy’s agony aunt Victoria Richards is here to help
6 mins
March 05, 2026
The Independent
Subculture vulture in focus
American photographer Catherine Opie's portraits of 'invisible' communities, from surfers to LA's 'leather dyke' scene, exude emotional generosity, writes Mark Hudson
4 mins
March 05, 2026
The Independent
What Trump fails to grasp about Churchill's leadership
The wartime prime minister is often invoked as a symbol of defiance. But, says Guy Walters, the president would be wise to consider his strategic approach to the Second World War
5 mins
March 05, 2026
The Independent
The war in Iran could be the making of the prime minister
Pay no attention to him, Keir Starmer told the Commons when a Conservative MP asked about the health of the UK-US alliance.
3 mins
March 05, 2026
The Independent
Try as it might, this revival cannot help but feel dated
'Broken Glass', Arthur Miller's unsparing examination of the Jewish experience, is brought to the Young Vic in a worthy production that's not always convincing, writes Alice Saville
2 mins
March 05, 2026
Listen
Translate
Change font size
