In the light of the revelations that keep on coming – and will surely continue, following Tuesday’s posthumous publication of Virginia Giuffre’s memoir – Prince Andrew’s decision to relinquish his royal titles has to be a case of better late than never. However long it has taken and however heavy a hand may have been applied by the King, it is nonetheless far preferable that this most comprehensive sanction on the prince to date should carry at least the veneer of voluntary acceptance rather than being imposed through parliament.
This government, indeed any government, has enough to do without devoting parliamentary time to issues the royal family should be capable of dealing with itself. If there is any substance, on the other hand, to reports that Andrew asked his close protection officer to investigate Giuffre’s background – one of the latest accusations to see the light of day – that should be a matter for the authorities. So it is right that the Metropolitan Police is looking into the claim.
