The Royal Family is under “unprecedented” pressure following the latest twist in the Epstein case, according to a royal commentator.
Charles Rae told Dawn Neesom on GB News that King Charles made a “mistake” in inviting Prince Andrew to Sandringham on Christmas.
It comes after the Duke of York was named in court documents relating to the paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Andrew has always maintained his innocence, while Buckingham Palace previously said the allegations are “categorically untrue”.
Charles Rae says pressure is mounting on the royal household
GETTY / GB NEWS
“We’re only six days into it and the pressure on Prince Andrew and the Royal Family is now mounting to a level which is almost unprecedented”, Rae said.
“We have a King who is now under great pressure to do something about Andrew.
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Charles Rae spoke to Dawn Neesom on GB News
GB NEWS
“There is not much he can do. He’s been stripped of his HRH and he’s not allowed to use it.
“He cannot represent any of these charities or his military functions. He’s sitting in his nearly 30 room almost palace.
“Charles has already told him he can carry on paying for the upkeep of the place.
“Now we’re hearing that the King may stop paying for Andrew’s private security which amounts to £3m a year.”
US Judge Loretta Preska ruled last month that documents naming more than 170 people who were either associates, friends or victims of Epstein should be made public.
One site where the documents were being released on Wednesday evening crashed within minutes, warning that the server might be overloaded.
In one document, a woman named Johanna Sjoberg claimed Prince Andrew touched her breast while sitting on a couch inside the US billionaire’s Manhattan apartment in 2001, while giving testimony in May 2016.
Andrew stepped down from public life after the furore over his friendship with Epstein and paid millions to settle a civil sexual assault case to Giuffre, a woman he claimed never to have met.
The duke was cast out of the working monarchy and no longer uses his HRH style after Giuffre, who was trafficked by Epstein, accused him of sexually assaulting her when she was 17.
He strenuously denies all allegations.