On Tuesday, Princess Eugenie was seen and photographed for the first time since her father’s arrest – go here to see the photos. She was out in Notting Hill, picking up some coffee with her husband Jack Brooksbank. She wasn’t wearing any makeup, but she didn’t look devastated or anything. Meanwhile, no one has seen Prince Andrew since he was released from police custody one week ago. But the past week has been huge, as it feels like a complete shift on how people think and speak about the monarchy. It’s all feeling very death-rattly. Speaking of, you know it’s bad when People Magazine is quoting royal commentators and they’re all like “wow, this could be the endgame.” Some highlights from People’s big story on Andrew and the future of the monarchy:
Andrew’s arrest in Wood Farm: “This is the place where the Queen spent her last birthday in April 2022,” Robert Jobson, author of The Windsor Legacy, tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue. “Four years later it’s been raided by the police. It beggars belief.”
The future of the monarchy: The arrest, the first of a royal since 1649, when King Charles I was beheaded for high treason, sent shock waves through the House of Windsor and raised renewed questions about accountability and privilege. “If it comes out that people knew stuff — whether it be members of the family or police or staffers — then heads must roll,” Jobson says.
That photo of Andrew: “He looked broken. Haunted,” says Ailsa Anderson, former press secretary to Queen Elizabeth. “That reverence people once had for the royal family is disappearing. This is the damage Andrew has done.”
Sarah Ferguson’s disappearance: As Andrew’s arrest reverberated beyond palace walls, attention turned to those closest to him. His ex-wife, Ferguson, who had lived with him at Royal Lodge and has not been seen in public since before Christmas, traveled abroad. The former Duchess of York faces renewed scrutiny over her past dealings with Epstein and whether she may be questioned by police in Andrew’s case. Ferguson, 66, was reported to have spent time at a luxury wellness clinic in Switzerland in January and is currently believed to be abroad as she considers a return to the U.K., though her precise whereabouts remain unclear.
Andrew’s legal road: Released under investigation and without bail conditions, Andrew faces an uncertain legal road ahead. He could remain in legal limbo for weeks or even months as police examine documents — released by the U.S. Department of Justice amid heightened scrutiny of those in Epstein’s orbit — that allegedly show Andrew sharing information with Epstein obtained during his work as the U.K.’s trade envoy. Prosecutors, ultimately, will decide whether charges are brought. If he is convicted, misconduct in public office carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. The British government is also reportedly considering legislation that would remove Andrew from the line of succession, a blow to the son long viewed as Queen Elizabeth’s favorite.
King Charles’s reign is under significant strain: The timing further compounds pressure on King Charles’ reign, already strained by his cancer treatment, Kate’s cancer recovery and the ongoing rift with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. For William, preparing for his future role, the episode has reinforced long-held frustrations. The Prince of Wales, 43, is understood to support his father’s approach but believes the monarchy could have acted sooner. What comes next may determine not just Andrew’s fate, but the future of the institution. “The stain of what Andrew did is spreading across the monarchy itself and undermining it,” says royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith. “It’s unlike anything the modern monarchy has faced.”
Ah, I see where People Magazine will go in the coming weeks and months. People Mag is still loyal to Princess Diana, so they’ll have no qualms advocating for King Charles’s abdication. Or they’ll just insist that Charles is the only other one to blame for Andrew. Basically, there’s an effort afoot to keep William clean no matter what. They’re positioning William as “frustrated” that Charles didn’t do more, and William will become the savior of the monarchy. The thing is, there seems to be a somewhat equal effort to point out that William is awful, actually, and that he’ll be a terrible and lazy king. Hmm…
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
