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Senior royals “in the dark” over Andrew’s defense strategy
Just what is Prince Andrew’s legal strategy? Even the queen, who is footing the cost of it, doesn’t know. Days after a photograph of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell relaxing at the queen’s private Balmoral cabin was revealed in a New York court where Maxwell is standing trial, senior royals are reportedly “in the dark” over Andrew’s defense, the Mirror reports.
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Andrew, the Mirror says, is understood to have had “little or no discussion” with the queen, Prince Charles or Prince William, over how he intends to defend himself against charges of sexual assault brought by Virginia Roberts Giuffre. Andrew has been “less than forthcoming” about how he intends to rebut Giuffre’s accusations.
The Mirror adds there has been “reported infighting” between Andrew’s UK solicitor Gary Bloxsome and Hollywood lawyer Andrew Brettler due to a “severe clash in personalities.”
One source told the Mirror: “Everyone from the very top has been left in the dark. The fact there has been little or no discussion with senior members of the family is just mind-boggling.” Neither Buckingham Palace nor Prince Andrew responded to the Mirror’s request for comment.
The Mirror adds that an “incredibly stressed” Andrew has told his legal team to “cancel Christmas” to focus on his case.
Harry reveals sadness around being stripped of titles
Prince Harry has revealed his sadness at being stripped of his honorary military titles, including being Captain of the Royal Marines, as part of giving up his status as a senior member of the royal family.
The Sunday People reports that Harry wrote to the family of a deceased soldier who would like his name on the national Armed Forces Memorial. Harry had served with Nathan Hunt in Afghanistan in 2008, but Nathan died by suicide in 2018 “after suffering from severe mental health problems thought to be linked to his military service,” the paper reports. “Although Nathan was a serving warrant officer when he died, defense chiefs have ruled that his name should not be added to the memorial.”
“I deeply empathize with what your family is going through and so wish I could assist formally, had I been in the same role I once was,” Harry wrote to the family in response to their letter to him.
“Grief can be a long and burdensome road. Please know you and your family remain in my thoughts,” Harry added.
New questions for Charles over Saudi donor
Prince Charles sent a gift of a clock and a hand written thank you letter to Saudi businessman Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz, after a meeting in which the possibility of him donating a “seven-figure sum” to Charles’ charities was discussed, a report in The Sunday Times alleges.
Mahfouz was subsequently awarded an honor by Prince Charles, and the surrounding scandal has led to the downfall of Michael Fawcett, the aide who was once so close to Prince Charles that he is said to have squeezed toothpaste onto his brush when the future king hurt his shoulder playing polo.
The Sunday Times also says that at the private ceremony where Mahfouz was awarded his honor, conventions were broken: Mahfouz shook hands with both Charles and Camilla, his son was allowed to pose for photos with Charles and the family “took pictures kissing each other’s hands, sitting on priceless furniture, and posing in front of an oil on canvas of George V.”
The Sunday Times alleges Charles and Mahfouz first met on March 27, 2014, at Charles’ London home Clarence House. They allegedly discussed Dumfries House, Charles’s Scottish mansion, and Mahfouz said he planned to make a “seven-figure” donation.
The Sunday Times says Charles subsequently sent a letter of thanks to Mahfouz and “a miniature carriage clock,” as a gift. Mahfouz started donating the following month, The Sunday Times says. In February 2015, The Sunday Times says, Charles met Mahfouz’s family at the British embassy in Saudi Arabia.
Clarence House said the meeting was to discuss “shared charitable interests,” but the paper alleges: “Charles met ten members of Mahfouz’s family, making conversation over a spread of tea, sandwiches and chocolate-coated dates. He also posed for photos with individual members of the family and the Mahfouz clan as a whole.
Clarence House reissued a statement saying: “The Prince of Wales has no knowledge of the alleged offer of honors on the basis of donation to his charities.”
Hard times
Prince Andrew asked a private banker pal for a £200,000 ($260,000) loan to pay for repairs at a private chapel in the grounds of his grace-and-favor home, Royal Lodge, in Windsor Great Park.
Andrew sought the loan from Jonathan Rowland, the Banque Havilland owner who in 2017 paid off a £1.5 million loan that Andrew had with the bank, in a secret deal that was exposed earlier this month by Bloomberg.
The Mail on Sunday reports today that in 2011 Andrew asked Rowland for the cash to repair the Royal Chapel of All Saints, which forms part of the Royal Lodge estate. Princess Beatrice married Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi there in 2020.
Rowland told Andrew, who was known as ‘Client X’ by the bank’s staff, “We can help on good terms,” however the Mail on Sunday says that the bank and the palace have refused to confirm if the money was ultimately advanced to Andrew, although it is understood no building work has taken place at the chapel since 2008.
Andrew wrote to Jonathan Rowland: “I need to facilitate a loan of £200k for more work on my chapel in the garden of RL [Royal Lodge],” he wrote. “I would like to know what you can do for me and what it would cost me to take a loan for £200k paid back over four years?
“It is going to be difficult to raise that amount from the small congregation and friends in time to get it done before so my contribution would be the interest costs for four years.”
Rowland replied: “OK. Come back to you. Sure we can help on good terms.”
Andrew reportedly took Rowland to the Queen’s Scottish holiday estate, Balmoral Castle, where he introduced her to the queen and Charles.
A spokesman for Banque Havilland told the Mail on Sunday that it denied any wrongdoing, adding, in perhaps one of the odder statements made by a financial institution to the press: “The bank can confirm it has not and does not make loans on chapels.”
So that clears that up then.
This week in royal history
Happy 29th wedding anniversary to Princess Anne and second husband Captain Timothy Laurence at the royals’ local church at Balmoral, Crathie Kirk in Ballater, on December 12th 1992.
Unanswered questions
Prince Andrew’s legal strategy remains a mystery, even to the queen. So, what is it exactly?
