MUCH has been said about how close he is to his daughters, how they’ll stand by him no matter what, how they’ve been his pillars throughout all the drama and disaster.
There’s also been talk about how Prince Andrew is keen for his girls to enter the ranks of working royals and help bolster a family reeling from the cancer diagnoses of two of its biggest stars.
But those in the know say that’s unlikely to happen – not because Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie would be bad at the job. By all accounts the sisters are well liked and respected within The Firm and everyone has a lot of time for them.
But there’s one big thing standing in their way, if indeed they did ever want a more public role: their father. Andrew is a liability to the royal family and the princesses, no matter how popular they may be, will always be his daughters.
And the shadow that Andrew will never escape is following his children too – his eldest in particular.
This much was thrust front and centre by the recent release of Scoop, a Netflix movie that dwells on the duke’s greatest moment of public humiliation: the BBC’s Newsnight interview with Emily Maitlis, where Andrew makes a royal fool of himself.
His tone-deaf replies to Maitlis’ questions about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.
His insistence that he doesn’t sweat so he couldn’t be the sweaty guy Virginia Giuffre – his biggest accuser – danced with.
His assurance he didn’t have sex with a teenage girl at the London home of Epstein’s right-hand woman, Ghislaine Maxwell, because he’d gone straight home after fetching Beatrice from a party at Pizza Express.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
PUSHED TO THE LIMIT
The unusual relationship between an heiress and her husband has taken a sinister twist
HOW TO MAKE A SUPERBABY
Noor Siddiqui says her company can test embryos for hundreds of conditions from diabetes to Alzheimer's. Critics call it social engineering but she insists she's just giving prospective parents the means to avoid a lot of future heartache
THE GROWN-UP BRAIN
If you think your brain deteriorates as you age, think again!
THE eyes HAVE IT
They're the windows to our soul - and the first place to show the stresses of everyday life. Juliette Winter reveals expert tips to de-puff, brighten and smooth this delicate area
WE'RE IN THIS TOGETHER
It hasn't been an easy road but now this bodybuilding couple are making waves in the industry
I CAN'T WAIT FOR SUMMER!
Annetjie's about to get effective treatment for the skin condition that has blighted her life and she's looking forward to hitting the shops and facing the world
'SHE NO THREAT TO ANYONE'
When SA boxer Chris van Heerden's Russian girlfriend went to visit her parents she was thrown in jail and accused of treasonnow he's in a fight to free her
SUNK IN 16 MINUTES!
A sun-drenched holiday turned into a living nightmare for those aboard this luxury vessel
READY TO SMILE AGAIN
A groundbreaking surgical procedure will restore this Limpopo teen's badly damaged jaw and teeth
HARRY AT A CROSSROADS
As the prince turns 40, royal experts paint a picture of a troubled soul- isolated, homesick and struggling to find a purpose in life