King Charles III made a pre-emptive and "difficult" decision to fully remove his brother's royal titles due to concerns about potentially embarrassing revelations in the forthcoming Epstein files, according to a leading royal analyst.
The Anticipatory Move by the Monarch
In a recent discussion on The Royals with Roya and Kate podcast, Roya Nikkhah, the Royal Editor for the Sunday Times, delved into the complex relationship between the Royal Family and the United States. A significant part of this conversation focused on the impact of the soon-to-be-released documents related to the late convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein.
These documents, whose release was mandated by the US Congress, are expected to shed new light on Epstein's network. The financier died in a New York prison cell in 2019.
This past October, Prince Andrew publicly announced he would relinquish his titles, including the Duke of York. He was later also stripped of his 'Prince' title and military affiliations. This followed intense media scrutiny over his association with the disgraced financier, though Andrew has consistently denied all allegations against him.
More Drama Yet to Come
However, Mark Landler, the London bureau chief for The New York Times, suggested that the public has not seen the end of this saga. He claimed that there will "probably be more" to come and that the contents of the Epstein files "will be embarrassing."
When asked about the potential consequences of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, recently signed by former US President Donald Trump, Landler provided a stark analysis. "I think we will see more; I actually think that we may see more on Andrew, which may explain why King Charles made the difficult decision to go all the way when he did," he alleged.
Landler believes the King's actions were, in part, anticipatory. "I think some of that was anticipatory; they probably do worry about things that have yet to be disclosed. What they are, we don't know yet. We will find out eventually," he stated, adding that the situation in the US remains fluid.
Further Investigations and Shocking Allegations
Complicating the timeline for disclosure, Landler noted that the United States Department of Justice has opened a separate new investigation into Epstein. This could provide a pretext for authorities to "hold on" to the documents for a longer period.
He concluded, "So I'm not sure we've seen the whole drama play out, but yes, there will probably be more. It will be embarrassing, and I think people in institutions like Buckingham Palace are trying to get ahead of it."
In a separate and startling revelation, royal author Andrew Lownie made an extraordinary claim on the Daily Beast podcast. Lownie, who wrote the book Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, alleged that Jeffrey Epstein explored hiring a hitman to target Prince Andrew and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson.
"He spoke to a hitman who was a former member of the British SAS and said he wanted the Yorks dead," Lownie claimed, citing two sources. While he conceded that Epstein was known to say "all sorts of things," he found the allegation believable given the financier's nervous state before his death.
The Mirror has approached Buckingham Palace for comment on these developments.
