Prince Andrew’s ‘Reckoning’: A royal crisis that won’t go away

Prince Andrew looks round as he leaves after attending the Easter Matins Service at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, England, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, Pool)

Afua Hagan is a contributor to CTVNews.ca, focusing on the Royal Family. Based in London and Accra, Hagan is a regular commentator on the royals across a variety of international outlets, and is a leading voice on diversity in Britain.

A bombshell new book on Prince Andrew by Andrew Lownie, has once again cast a harsh spotlight on one of the most scandal-ridden figures in modern royal history.

Years after his disastrous Newsnight interview and withdrawal from public duties, Prince Andrew remains a liability the monarchy has yet to fully confront. And with each new revelation, the issue is no longer just about Andrew – it’s about the institution that repeatedly refuses to distance itself from him.

Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, provides an in-depth, well-researched look at Andrew’s fall from grace. It examines his connections to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell as well as the atmosphere of privilege and lack of accountability that enveloped him for years.

Even more troubling, Entitled indicates that despite public claims otherwise, royal insiders have tried to reinstate his status – or at the very least, safeguard his reputation.

‘Punches were thrown’

Entitled has rocked royal circles with its startling revelations about Prince Andrew’s conduct. Requiring four years of research, the book takes a closer look at the duke’s controversial past and troubling behaviour patterns.

It describes a physical altercation between Prince Harry and his uncle at a family gathering in 2013. This confrontation allegedly started after “something Andrew said behind Harry’s back.”

The situation quickly escalated until “punches were thrown,” claimed the author, leaving Andrew with a “bloody nose.” The biography also reveals that Andrew told Harry his marriage to Meghan would “not last more than a month.” Andrew allegedly called Meghan an “opportunist” and suggested Harry had gone “bonkers.”

Harry’s relationship with his uncle was particularly strained, as the book portrays a “problematic” dynamic between Andrew and both his nephews. Harry reportedly told William that “he hated Andrew.”

Harry and Meghan’s response

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex responded forcefully to deny the latest allegations in this, the latest Prince Andrew scandal. Their spokesperson made it clear: “I can confirm Prince Harry and Prince Andrew have never had a physical fight, nor did Prince Andrew ever make the comments he is alleged to have made about the Duchess of Sussex to Prince Harry.”

The Sussexes took their response a step further. Their legal team delivered a formal letter to the Daily Mail – which published an excerpt Saturday of the “bloody nose” affair – about what they called “gross inaccuracies, damaging and defamatory remarks” in Lownie’s book.

Claims of ‘unbelievably cruel’ behaviour

Entitled reveals a troubling pattern of behaviour throughout Prince Andrew’s royal life, going well beyond his explosive confrontations with Prince Harry. The latest revelations portray him as a man with a “fragile ego” mixed with a “massive sense of entitlement.”

Lownie claimed the Duke turned “unbelievably cruel” whenever people didn’t meet his wishes, and he often berated staff over minor issues. The book details an example in which Andrew ordered his valet to get a teddy bear from his Buckingham Palace bed and place it exactly as he had left it.

The staff allegedly dreaded their shifts with him. One former employee called him “proper scary” during his angry outbursts.

The Epstein connection

The book also reveals disturbing details about Andrew’s connection to Jeffrey Epstein. Lownie suggests Andrew became an easy target for a “rattlesnake” like Epstein; and although the convicted sex offender manipulated Andrew, the Duke was nowhere near innocent.

The author describes Andrew as “sex-obsessed” with consistently poor judgment about his relationships. Lownie says Andrew was “a useful idiot” who gave Epstein “respectability, access to political leaders and business opportunities.”

Andrew’s behaviour also allegedly included regular inappropriate comments about women’s looks and bragging about his sexual encounters. His conduct at official events, meanwhile, embarrassed many, according to the author. Diplomats avoided seating female guests near him because of his crude comments. Palace insiders’ first-hand accounts reveal that royal circles knew about Andrew’s troubling conduct for decades. The Queen’s favourite son’s position protected him from consequences.

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Dark clouds hang over the Royal Family as fresh revelations about Prince Andrew paint a disturbing picture of the Duke of York. Entitled reveals many accounts of his alleged staff abuse, inappropriate behaviour, and questionable relationships. The evidence shows how such conduct went unchecked for decades within royal circles.

This isn’t just about a royal falling from grace. It’s a crisis that could weaken King Charles III’s attempts to update the monarchy and gain public confidence. Whenever people see Prince Andrew riding to church with the King, or showing up at a royal memorial, it raises eyebrows – and new questions about the monarchy’s decision-making and accountability. For a family that pays close attention to appearances, their failure to cut ties with Andrew is both confusing and harmful.

What’s also concerning is how Andrew still thinks he’s the victim here. Entitled shows that he’s still stubborn behind palace doors, caring more about getting his status back than facing the damage he’s been accused of doing to Epstein’s victims, and to the public and the monarchy. And that might be the most troubling part of all.

The Royal Family’s quiet approach to this problem – and their lack of a clear explanation for Andrew’s ongoing presence at private and semi-public events – is becoming harder to defend. In today’s world where people demand accountability, the thought that a man so linked to one of the worst scandals in recent times could come back to public life simply doesn’t make sense.

Prince Andrew might be laying low, but the harm he’s caused is still very much alive. Entitled doesn’t just tell us what happened before – it shows us that the Royal Family’s unwillingness to tackle that history head-on could weaken the very future they’re trying to protect.