Andrew’s post-royal engagement ‘buried’ under Meghan and Harry headlines: ‘No coincidence'

Andrew stepped down from life as a working royal following his BBC Newsnight interview two years ago. He spoke to journalist Emily Maitlis about his association with the convicted sex

offender Jeffrey Epstein, who killed himself in jail a few months before the interview. He noted in his resignation statement in November 2019 that he continues “to unequivocally regret my

ill-judged association with Jeffrey Epstein”.

Epstein’s ex-girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell was arrested last July by the FBI on multiple charges related to his sexual abuse of young women and girls between 1994 and 1997.

Ms Maxwell has pleaded not guilty and vehemently denies the charges.

She was denied bail and is now waiting for her trial, to be held this summer, behind bars.

Ms Maxwell's brother Ian also spoke to BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme on Wednesday about the British socialite, and briefly mentioned her association with Andrew.

Ms Maxwell is reported to have introduced the Duke of York to Epstein in the Nineties.

Ian said that he would “assume” she still considers Andrew a friend, although the Duke of York has not publicly commented on his relationship with Ms Maxwell.

Andrew has rarely been seen in public since his resignation, as he is no longer a representative of the Queen and so does not carry out royal engagements on her behalf.

Just two months after he took early retirement, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex also announced they were going to be stepping down from the royal frontline in 2020.

When the Sussexes announced their sudden royal departure in January last year, they dominated the headlines, meaning the international conversation moved away from Andrew’s resignation.

But, during a discussion on True Royalty TV, royal commentators Omid Scobie and Daisy McAndrew claimed Andrew had embarked on a surprise public engagement just four months after he stepped

down.

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Speaking in March 2020, Mr Scobie said: “Someone has been buried under all of the headlines.”

Ms McAndrew replied: “We have seen Andrew popping up, which has been fascinating.

“For the first time in a long time, he has done an official royal visit.

“It was a memorial service, Sir Malcolm Ross, I think, was his name.

“It actually happened at the exact time all eyes were watching the Commonwealth service where, of course, we had Harry, Meghan, William, Kate and the Queen.

“But not Andrew - people were expecting him not to be there.

“They weren’t expecting him to be going on a royal visit to this memorial service.

“Many people in his circle have been saying this was no coincidence.”

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Meghan and Harry’s final royal engagements with the rest of the Royal Family took place on Commonwealth Day on March 9.

The event was highly-anticipated because royal watchers believed the Sussexes’ decision to step down had fractured their relationships with the rest of the Firm.

The couple had also returned to the UK just to carry out those final engagements, having spent the majority of the previous five months in Canada.

It was reported to be the first time Harry had seen his brother Prince William since they had hashed out the details of their exit at a tense meeting in Norfolk, dubbed the Sandringham

Summit, so the public were watching attentively to gain an insight into their relationship.

There was also a furore around Meghan and Harry’s entrance as when they were working as senior royals, they used to join the procession with the Queen into Westminster Abbey during the

annual service.

On this occasion the couple were conducted to their seats before the Queen’s arrival as they were just days from officially leaving the royal frontline.

This allegedly caused some tensions as it showcased the couple's demotion, so the Cambridges agreed to also walk to their seats before the Queen arrived.

However, it did not escape the public’s notice that when the two couples greeted one another there was an undeniable frostiness in the air.

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