Earlier this week, the Royal Family made some crucial changes when they announced that Prince Andrew would be losing his titles and would henceforth be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. Now, it's being alleged that Queen Camilla was a "cheerleader" for her husband, and encouraged him to act swiftly following the release of Virginia Giuffre's memoir.
According to a new report in The Sunday Times, friends of King Charles highlighted how important it was for the monarch to acknowledge the victims of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein—including those who had made abuse allegations against the former Duke of York. "That was extraordinary," The King's friends told the outlet. "That's the closest you'll get to The King and his court passing judgment on his brother."
Writing for the newspaper, royal editor Roya Nikkhah explained, "For the first time—after 15 years of scandal swirling around Andrew—there was also an acknowledgment of the victims and their suffering: 'Their Majesties wish to make clear that their thoughts and utmost sympathies have been, and will remain with, the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse.'"
"That's the closest you'll get to The King and his court passing judgment on his brother."
One of King Charles and Queen Camilla's friends also highlighted to The Sunday Times that "each time courtiers drafted in references to the victims they were removed" on previous occasions. "Any such communication had required Andrew's sign-off," Nikkhah explained, while stating in the headline, "Andrew erased royal tributes to Jeffrey Epstein victims."
Ultimately, the Royal Family reportedly wanted to act to ensure that anyone impacted by abuse was seen, with a source telling the outlet, "[T]here is no credible way The Queen and the Duchess of Edinburgh can continue to do the work they do in the areas of sexual abuse if they can't point to that."
A friend of the royals continued, "Now, The King has lost his patience: you can see this statement is no longer a statement by committee, it's a statement from The King."
"For the first time—after 15 years of scandal swirling around Andrew—there was also an acknowledgment of the victims."
The sources who spoke to The Sunday Times also suggested that Queen Camilla was instrumental in her husband's actions regarding Andrew. One source called Camilla "a wise counsel, a support, and cheerleader," while a separate source revealed that the Royal Family know they "got it wrong first time." The source elaborated, "They've got it right now. But it's going to be tough. It must be awful to disgrace your brother. But he has shamed all of them without compunction."
One of Charles and Camilla's friends also noted that The Queen had "read the coverage of Giuffre's book, Nobody’s Girl," and knew that action had to be taken. The late Giuffre previously accused Andrew of sexual abuse and brought a lawsuit against the former Duke of York, which he settled out of court in 2022 for a substantial financial sum.
