The royal family is facing mounting pressure as speculation surrounding Prince Andrew’s alleged involvement with the late s** offender Jeffrey Epstein continues to escalate.
A former royal correspondent at the Sun newspaper, Charles Ray, has described the situation as reaching an unprecedented level.
In a recent interview on GB News, Ray discussed the release of unsealed court documents related to Epstein.
Prince Andrew, who vehemently denies any wrongdoing, is among the 170 individuals named in a list connected to Epstein.
These names were made public by a New York judge earlier this week.
Regarding the wider royal family, Ray expressed that there is significant pressure on the king to take action in response to Prince Andrew’s situation.
However, given his stripped HRH title and limited privileges, there is not much the king can do in terms of official representation or involvement in charitable and military functions.
Speaking to presenter Dawn Neesam, Ray emphasized the importance of Prince Andrew proving his innocence.
He stated that if Prince Andrew fails to demonstrate his lack of involvement, the majority of the public will believe he had some connection to the convicted pedophile.
Ray highlighted the gravity of such an accusation, particularly when directed at a member of the royal family.
Prince Andrew stepped down from his role as a senior working royal in 2019 and had his HRH title, military titles, and royal patronages revoked in January 2022.
This decision was made due to a US civil action against him regarding allegations of s**ual assault.
Virginia Giuffre, who was a minor under US law at the time, accused the Duke of abusing her on three occasions in both the UK and the US.
Andrew reached an out-of-court settlement with Giuffre without admitting any responsibility.
The recently released documents pertain to a defamation case brought by Giuffre against Ghislaine Maxwell in Manhattan in 2015.
The Metropolitan Police stated that they would assess any new and relevant information if it were to be brought to their attention.
Despite taking a step back from his official duties, Prince Andrew has made subtle appearances at various royal engagements.
For instance, he attended the Christmas Day service with the rest of the royal family at the Sandringham estate last month.
The mounting pressure on Prince Andrew and the royal family as a whole underscores the significance of addressing the allegations against him.