The fallout has been immense for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson amid the scandal caused by the former couple’s relationships with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
In early October, both Andrew and Ferguson voluntarily relinquished their royal titles, particularly as the Duke and Duchess of York, and Andrew also gave up his military titles and honors. As the scandal continued to rage on and public backlash increased, King Charles ultimately made the decision to strip Andrew of his “prince” title, as well, and to evict both Andrew and Ferguson from Royal Lodge, the 30-room mansion in Windsor they’ve both lived in for years, even following their divorce in 1996.
As the blowback continued, Ferguson faced setbacks in her professional and philanthropic work, as her upcoming children’s book was cancelled and several charities cut ties with her.
With so much backlash hitting Andrew and Ferguson all at once, some members of the royal family are beginning to worry about the disgraced pair’s wellbeing, the Mirror reports.
When asked about how the former Duke and Duchess of York were coping amid the continuing scandal, royal author Robert Jobson told The Sun that both are struggling—and so much that other members of the royal family are growing concerned.
“Not very well, I don’t think,” Jobson said in response to the question (per the Mirror). “I believe even members of the Royal Family who have taken action are concerned about both their mental health.”
Still, Jobson was quick to stress the importances of staying concerned about Epstein’s victims, first and foremost.
“Most of all, though, you have to be concerned about the victims of the Epstein scandal, and that to me is the biggest worry,” he added. “They’re human beings. A lot has been taken away.”
Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond pointed out in a recent interview with the Mirror that Andrew likely considers himself a victim of the Epstein scandal, to some degree at least. In addition to feeling “humiliated” and “angry” as he spends his final weeks living at Royal Lodge, Andrew, who has continuously denied the accusations against him tied to his relationship with Epstein, is also probably feeling “wronged,” Bond said.
“I’m sure he’s feeling humiliated and, by all accounts, angry,” Bond said of the former prince’s mindset in his final days at Royal Lodge. “You have to remember that he has consistently protested his innocence. Therefore, he feels wronged. But the reality is he now has just a few weeks left before he has to leave Royal Lodge, which has been his home for more than 20 years.”
Although nothing could fully reverse the damage Andrew’s Epstein-related scandals have done to his reputation, Bond pointed to a what she sees as a clear first step the former prince would need to take to begin to repair his reputation.
“One thing he could do to show some remorse (for, at the very least, his bad judgement in befriending Epstein) is to cooperate with the Congressional committee and tell them what he saw and what he knows,” she said. “At the moment, though, that seems unlikely.”
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