King shatters royal rule with ‘nuclear’ call

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Less than four months ago, with 109 powerful words, the King finally took the decisive action on his disgraced brother for which millions had been baying.

And until the release of the spate of damning new documents in the Jeffrey Epstein files this month, it was, for many, enough. But as the disturbing allegations against Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor mounted at an alarming speed in recent days – and with the world rocked by a scandal sweeping down every corridor of power – the monarch was once again forced to step off the well-trodden path of strict royal protocol upon which the institution has long relied.

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“The King has made clear, in words and through unprecedented actions, his profound concern at allegations which continue to come to light in respect of Mr Mountbatten-Windsor’s conduct,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement on Monday night, UK time.

“While the specific claims in question are for Mr Mountbatten-Windsor to address, if we are approached by Thames Valley Police we stand ready to support them as you would expect.

“As was previously stated, Their Majesties’ thoughts and sympathies have been, and remain with, the victims of any and all forms of abuse.”

“Unprecedented” is a word that has been far overused in recent years. But when it comes to the nuclear button pressed by the King in that statement, it’s also the only appropriate one.

To hit it though, he first had to accept he’d be shattering an unwritten, unspoken and firmly established royal rule.

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First, here’s a brief (well, I’ll do my best) recap of the multiple elements unfolding in the days and hours leading up to the stunning missive.

There‘s the ever-growing public rage over the constant stream of new and shocking allegations against the former prince, which led to the King being heckled about Andrew on two separate occasions within one week.

There’s now an accusation from a second woman that she had been trafficked by Epstein to Andrew for sex, allegedly on a royal property.

There’s fresh allegations that Andrew, while working in an official capacity as a UK trade envoy, passed on confidential documents to the convicted sex offender.

And, just hours before the King’s statement dropped, there was confirmation by British police that they are now “assessing” the above claim.

Then there’s Prince William, Princess Kate, and Prince Edward all breaking ranks to speak publicly on the scandal and throw their support behind its victims.

Keeping the process of dealing with family scandals in-house, and largely sticking to the famous mantra of “never complain, never explain” has always been option A for the royals. But the King very accurately realised in October that that would no longer fly, and acted accordingly both then, and again this week (though it should be noted that authorities have not, at this stage, reached out to the Palace for assistance).

Regardless, Monday’s declaration that he “[stands] ready” to help police in any potential investigations into his brother’s activities dominated the front pages and news bulletins across Britain in the hours that followed.

And it came as his son and heir embarked upon one of the most important diplomatic visits of his career to Saudi Arabia on Monday, travelling at the request of the British government and perfectly positioned to wield his soft power and strengthen ties with the Middle Eastern nation.

Hours before it began, the King shifted all the impending and likely positive media focus straight back to England and Andrew’s escalating scandal – the exact opposite of the usual approach. A huge pivot from the general rule: do not pull focus from a significant royal visit.

But it is a new era.

As one Palace source told Sky News of the King’s decision to throw Andrew to the wolves: “New facts meant the need for a new response”.

In the week’s after October’s bombshell Palace statement, there was a general feeling among many of “well, what more can the King do now?” He’d taken the keys of Royal Lodge from his younger sibling, effectively exiled him to his own private country home and stripped him of his royal titles. Out of sight, out of (public) mind.

But that was before the avalanche of accusations aimed at Andrew began flooding the news cycle this month.

In fact, when the first of the explosive new allegations began surfacing as journalists everywhere were frantically sifting through literally millions of new Epstein files, it‘s understood that the King and his aides were also discovering what was in them at the same time as the rest of us.

And, presumably, reacting with stunned horror.

For the better part of two decades, the Epstein scandal has cast a shadow over the monarchy – and for all her many achievements, it certainly seems the late Queen’s Achilles heel was the blind spot she had for her son, Andrew.

In the few years since ascending the throne, the King has had to navigate what has been an increasingly volatile reputational minefield when it came to his brother.

But, unlike during certain other past royal flashpoints (i.e. the death of Princess Diana), it’s obvious he has learned from his family’s mistakes and has also accurately read the room.

No one would envy the choices he’s had to so publicly make – family or reputation? – but when it comes to Andrew, it’s blindingly obvious the former Duke of York made his own bed a long time ago.

Of course, Andrew has vehemently and persistently denied all allegations of wrongdoing but at the very, very least, the depths of the cosy communication between himself and a convicted sex offender – as exposed in recent days – was enough to sever that remaining thread of protection from his powerful big brother all on its own.

The King has now ensured that it was a clean and irreparable break.