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Andrew allegations
Prince Andrew is preparing for the unsealing of a sheaf of Jeffrey Epstein-related court papers—and the full, or at least fuller, story of Johanna Sjoberg coming to light. Sjoberg previously claimed she was fondled by Andrew at his billionaire pedophile pal’s house.
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Her allegations were overshadowed by the more extreme allegations made by Virginia Giuffre, who won a $14 million payout from Andrew.
Now, however, Sjoberg’s story is likely to be back in the spotlight, as a 30-page document penned by her is due to be released in the new year document dump. The documents were sealed by a judge after a 2015 defamation case brought by Giuffre against Epstein conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell was settled. They are due to be unsealed and released as early as Tuesday. Andrew is said to be “totally tormented” by the prospect.
The publication of the documents raises the possibility that Andrew could face new scrutiny over Sjoberg’s allegations. She has previously claimed that, as a young college student in 1999, she was offered a job answering phones for Epstein but was shortly encouraged to interact sexually with both Epstein and Andrew.
According to a report in the Sun, her allegations against Andrew form part of “written evidence given by Sjoberg” in the 2015 defamation suit. Sjoberg has claimed Andrew groped her breast in 2001 at the home of Epstein. What exactly Sjoberg alleges in her evidence is unknown. However, the Daily Mail previously reported that when she met Andrew he was playing with a puppet of him from a satirical British comedy show called Spitting Image.
Per the Mail, Sjoberg said: “I just remember someone suggesting a photo and they told us to get on the couch. And so Virginia and Andrew sat on the couch and they put the puppet on her lap. And so I sat on Andrew's lap, I believe of my own volition, and they took the puppet’s hands and put it on Virginia’s breast and so Andrew put his on mine.”
She said it was done in “a joking manner.”
The Sun says Roberts’ lawyer Sigrid McCawley has called the evidence: “disturbing testimony corroborating what lies at the core of this case—Maxwell was involved in facilitating the sexual abuse of young girls with Jeffrey Epstein.”
The Sun says Sjoberg’s evidence runs to 30 pages and that there are also claims about “a hidden Maxwell email account—which could reveal details of her conversations with Andrew, 63.” Andrew denies all wrongdoing.
2024: a year of royal intrigue to come
The royal year of 2023 was a riot of incident, scandal, and extremes—from the revelations and accusations of Spare, to the coronation of King Charles, the scandal and argument that continued to swirl around Prince William and Prince Harry (with relationships between all three in rumored states of deterioration and flux), and then the explosive re-emergence of the “royal racist” scandal, and Harry's victory against a tabloid news group.
Beat that, 2024!
Harry will be hoping to follow his December victory against Mirror Group Newspapers with victories against Rupert Murdoch’s News Group Newspapers and Associated Newspapers. Time will tell if British police follow his other request to investigate the practices of the British tabloid media further.
What of Meghan Markle’s much-rumored return to Hollywood? And what will Harry and Meghan do in regards their next chapters of broadcast and publishing efforts—will there be more bitter family wrangling, or, aware that public appetites for the same seem to be on the wane, will they find new furrows to plough that will restore their reputations after being described as “fucking grifters” and “losers” after their offerings of 2023.
Prince William, left, and King Charles III during the National Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication for King Charles and Queen Camilla, and the presentation of the Honours of Scotland, at St Giles' Cathedral, Edinburgh, July 5, 2023.
Jane Barlow/Pool via ReutersKing Charles must first face whatever is revealed of any new claims regarding Andrew’s behavior in the Epstein-related document drop in the first week of January. The royals have also not yet said a word (and do not seem likely to) about Charles and Kate Middleton being the alleged “royal racists” who had “concerns” about the color of the then-unborn Prince Archie’s skin. The royals smiled and stayed silent as the scandal blew up, despite rumors of legal action. Has the story died? Will silence continue to prevail?
The tension and differing approaches between Charles and William may emerge as a bigger royal storyline as the year continues. William has previously made clear he wants to do royal duties differently, yet while the British public has signaled it wouldn’t mind the crown going directly to him (skipping Charles), a now-installed Charles is looking to make his mark as monarch. Maybe the two will find ways to work differently, together.
The reign in Spain, meanwhile, looks in distinctly choppy waters with Queen Letizia facing repeated allegations from her former boyfriend, Jaime del Burgo, that they had an affair after she married then-Crown Prince, now King Felipe, with whom she has two children. Del Burgo renewed his accusations over the holidays; some see a bigger plot, and suspect him of being a left wing pawn being used to bring down (or at least bring into disrepute) the Spanish monarchy.
Another big royal story to watch in Europe is the fragile relationship of Prince Albert of Monaco and his wife, Charlene. The former Olympic swimmer has been plagued with ill-health for years, both mental and physical. And in Thailand, the cruel and eccentric King Maha Vajiralongkorn faces a year of decisions as he contemplates whether to formalize the anointment of his reforming son. He had wanted his daughter to succeed him, but she is lingering in a coma following a near-fatal brain aneurysm.
Brits asked: what do you think of the royals?
King Charles has a new 2024 headache on the horizon, quite besides the Andrew/Epstein saga. 175,000 Brits are being asked their views on the royal family, in a poll commissioned by the U.K. government, the Mirror reports.
The poll isn’t focused on the royals, but includes a question about the family. Respondents will be asked what they think the role of the monarchy should be, the paper says—with results being relayed to senior members of the family, and then made public this summer.
King Charles, left, and Queen Camilla stand on the Buckingham Palace balcony following their coronation ceremony in London, Britain May 6, 2023.
Hannah McKay/ReutersPeople are being asked: “What do you think should be the main role of the Monarchy in the U.K.?” The options (you have to pick one) include “to undertake a constitutional role as Head of State (such as opening each new session of Parliament),” “to support and encourage public service and charitable sectors,” and “to recognize and support the armed forces.”
Other possible choices are “to be the Supreme Governor of the Church of England,” “to provide a sense of continuity and act as a focus for national identity, unity and pride,” “to promote the UK abroad,” and “to recognize exceptional achievement by issuing honors (such as MBEs, OBEs).”
Archbishop honored, duke not
In his New Year Honors list, King Charles made the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Justin Welby, a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (RVO) in recognition of his prominent role in the Coronation, the Telegraph reports.
The gong may prove controversial (with easily provoked right-wingers at least) after Welby made a speech in the House of Lords in which he said the Tory Government’s immigration policy—centerpiece intention to “Stop the Boats” crossing the Channel—“ignores the reality that global migration must be engaged with at source as well as in the Channel as if we as a country were unrelated to the rest of the world.”
The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Justin Welby, attends the State Banquet during the South Korean President state visit, at Buckingham Palace in London, Britain November 21, 2023.
Yui Mok/Pool via ReutersOne prominent royal-related figure who missed out on an honor was Edward Fitzalan-Howard, the 18th Duke of Norfolk, who masterminded not only the Coronation but also Queen Elizabeth's funeral, the Mail on Sunday reports. The duke’s omission from the list of 1200 honorees “might seem a snub—just as it did when he was overlooked in Charles’ birthday honors in June,” the Mail says, adding there was rumored discord between him and Charles over modernizing parts of the coronation, alongside a six-month driving ban the duke incurred after being seen using his cellphone while driving and running a stop light.
However, the Mail says, the duke may be in line for the Order of the Garter, traditionally bestowed on St George’s Day, April 23.
My big fat wedding
The Mail is keeping busy by pre-gaming the summer wedding of Britain’s richest aristocrat, Hugh Grosvenor, the 7th Duke of Westminster, to gourmet food executive Olivia Henson. Chester Cathedral in June is going to resemble a giant can of aristocratic sardines as toffs gather for a shindig that is basically a royal wedding minus the crowns.
Hugh Grosvenor, the 7th Duke of Westminster, isn’t just any old blue blood. His late dad, Gerald, who died at 64 right before he was about to host a party to open the 2016 grouse shooting season bash (bad luck) once said Hugh was “born with the longest silver spoon anyone can have,” according to the Mail.
Hugh Grosvenor, Duke of Westminster attends the wedding of Charlie van Straubenzee and Daisy Jenks at the church of St Mary the Virgin on August 4, 2018 in Frensham, England.
Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty ImagesThis family’s bank account has been swelling since the Norman Conquest, and today they are thought to be worth around £10 billion ($13 billion), principally via the Grosvenor Group, which owns 300 acres of prime real estate in swanky neighborhoods like Mayfair and Belgravia—and an art collection boasting big names like Velazquez, Rembrandt, and Lucian Freud.
The family home is Eaton Hall, a French chateau-style fantasy sprawling over 10,000 acres and including three whole villages, 435 houses, and 15 farms. Not to mention, per the Mail, Reay Forest Estate in Scotland (96,000 acres), the 23,500-acre Abbeystead Estate in Lancashire; and for a touch of Spanish flair, the 37,000-acre La Gargantua estate in Cordoba, Spain.
Hugh’s godfather is King Charles, so he’s expected to rock up with Camilla in tow. William might well be the best man, and Prince George—who just so happens to be the Duke’s godson—is likely to be a pageboy.
And, as with all great parties, there’s a plenty of off-stage drama: earlier this month, it was reported that Harry and Meghan will not be attending, despite Harry being an old friend, with the bride and groom having no intention of allowing the feud between Harry and William to overshadow their big day.
This week in royal history
Let’s begin the year with a royal wedding—Henry VIII’s to Anne of Cleves, his fourth wife, on January 6, 1540, at Palace of Placentia, Greenwich, London. Anne died in 1557—the last of Henry VIII’s wives to die.
Unanswered questions
Will 2024 be the year Harry and Meghan (especially the latter) make their big bid for Hollywood? How will Andrew (and Charles) respond to the next chapter of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, set to break imminently with the publication of a list of names this week?
