A close friend of Prince Andrew has expressed strong criticism of Buckingham Palace for its handling of the allegations of sexual abuse that have surrounded the Duke of York in recent years.

The friend, who has remained anonymous, claimed that the royal family and the Palace failed to adequately support Andrew during the highly publicized and damaging scandal.

The allegations, which have cast a long shadow over Andrew’s reputation, centered on claims of sexual misconduct that were made by Virginia Giuffre,

a woman who has publicly accused him of abusing her when she was a minor. While Andrew has consistently denied the charges,

the controversy has significantly affected his standing within the royal family and in the public eye.

The source emphasized that Buckingham Palace’s response to the allegations lacked compassion and appeared to be motivated more by a desire to protect the monarchy’s image

than by a genuine concern for Andrew. According to the friend, Andrew was left to face the immense pressure of the scandal largely on his own,

with little support or assistance from his family or the institution itself. The friend suggested that the Palace’s focus was on shielding the monarchy from further negative attention,

rather than on helping the Duke address the serious and personal issues surrounding the claims against him. This, they argued, has led to Andrew feeling abandoned and let down by those closest to him.

Prince Andrew’s association with Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender who died in 2019, has further complicated the situation. The friend pointed to this link as being a particularly damaging element of the scandal, and one that the Palace, despite its efforts to distance itself from Epstein, has been unable to fully mitigate. Andrew’s continued friendship with Epstein, even after the financier had been convicted of sex offenses, has been a major point of contention and has only intensified the media scrutiny surrounding him. Despite Andrew’s public denials and attempts to clear his name, the accusations have had a lasting impact on his reputation, particularly within the royal family and in the wider public eye.

The royal family’s decision to strip Andrew of his military titles and royal patronages in 2022 was seen as a clear indication that the Palace was distancing itself from him. While Andrew did not face criminal charges, the civil case brought against him in the United States by Giuffre, which was settled for a substantial sum, forced him to step down from his public roles and retreat from the limelight. Many commentators suggested that the Palace had taken this step to protect the monarchy’s image, rather than to offer any meaningful support to Andrew during his legal battles. The close friend’s comments reflect this sentiment, with the individual claiming that Andrew had been treated unfairly by the institution.

The friend also hinted at an ongoing sense of betrayal within Andrew, suggesting that he felt like he had been abandoned by his family, particularly his brother, Prince Charles, and his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. The absence of public support from his family during the legal proceedings and the subsequent fallout only deepened Andrew’s sense of isolation. Despite having faced public scandal in the past, Andrew’s experience was notably different in terms of the lack of solidarity he received from his family and the institution that he had long been a part of. According to the friend, the Palace’s response was “cold” and devoid of empathy, and this has only worsened Andrew’s perception of how he was treated by those who should have stood by him during a difficult time.

These criticisms reflect broader frustrations within some quarters of the royal family, with some insiders suggesting that the Palace’s handling of the scandal has been overly focused on managing public relations and image rather than addressing the deeper issues surrounding the allegations and Andrew’s personal turmoil. For Andrew, the aftermath of the scandal has been both professionally and personally devastating, with many questioning how the Palace can continue to support him in the future after the fallout from the accusations. The close friend’s comments reinforce the idea that Andrew has been deeply let down by the very institution that should have provided him with support during such an incredibly trying period of his life.

Follow us to see more useful information, as well as to give us more motivation to update more useful information for you.