Prince Andrew Is Unlikely To Be Abandoned By The Royal Family Amid Epstein 'List' Scandal

Prince Andrew is expected to still have the royal family's support despite him becoming infamous once again for being named on the Jeffrey Epstein list.

It comes after a judge ordered the unsealing of documents related to the case between Epstein's victim, Virginia Guiffre, and his co-conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell.

Andrew was previously involved in a lawsuit with Guiffre, in which she claimed he sexually assaulted her. He was stripped of his royal titles at the time the case made headlines.

According to the New York Post, the inclusion of Prince Andrew's name in the Epstein list is unlikely to result in him being abandoned by the royal family.

The disgraced prince faced scrutiny in August 2021 when Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein's victims, accused him of "sexual assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress." The matter was subsequently settled privately in February 2022 for a reported  $14 million without an admission of liability.

With the release of the Epstein list once again placing Prince Andrew in an unfavorable spotlight, royal commentator Kinsey Schofield has suggested that he would still receive support from the royal family during these challenging times.

"I do think that the royal family is going to stand beside him no matter what," Schofield said in an interview with GB News. "I think that he has stressed to them that there are no more skeletons in the closet."

Schofield added, "It's not a great look and I do think that you are as strong as your weakest team member, and unfortunately, he's their weakest team member. But they're going to stand by him. It's never complain, never explain. That's what their strategy is going to be."

In the Epstein disclosure, Prince Andrew was additionally implicated in connection with another victim, Johanna Sjoberg. Sjoberg had been enlisted to work as a massage therapist for Epstein at the age of 21.

She said in a deposition, which was part of the unsealed documents, that Andrew groped her during a photo with him, Maxwell, and Guiffre at Epstein's New York Mansion. Sjoberg said that before taking the picture, Maxwell had retrieved a puppet with Andrew's looks from a closet.

"They decided to take a picture with it, in which Virginia and Andrew sat on a couch," Sjoberg recalled.

She added, "They put the puppet on Virginia's lap, and I sat on Andrew's lap, and they put the puppet's hand on Virginia's breast, and Andrew put his hand on my breast, and they took a photo."

Given his notorious association with the sex offender and the scandal involving Guiffre, it was widely expected that Andrew's name would be included in the list.

However, the Duke of York remained deeply troubled despite having prior knowledge of the situation. Sources close to him revealed that he was "totally tormented" in anticipation of the document dump. His emotional state also raised concerns about his wellbeing among both close associates and family members.

"Andrew's name is in there," a source told the Daily Mail, per the New York Post. "He is beside himself with this latest development and everyone close to him is concerned for his mental wellbeing."

"He is facing his second Christmas without his mother and now the New Year is going to start with his name being dragged through the mud all over again," the insider added.

As a result of his actions, Prince Andrew had his HRH ("His Royal Highness") title revoked, along with the removal of several patronages by the late Queen Elizabeth in 2022, per the New York Post.

"With The Queen's approval and agreement, The Duke of York's military affiliations and royal patronages have been returned to The Queen," read a statement from the royal firm at the time, adding that he could no longer use the HRH title in any official capacity.

Following these developments, Prince Andrew adopted a more low-key lifestyle, distancing himself from the media and stepping back from additional royal roles. However, he continued to participate in family events, including a recent appearance with the royals in December when they attended the holiday church service at the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Norfolk.

At the time, Andrew was joined by his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, and their two daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.