Queen wanted disgraced Prince Andrew to do charity: source

Queen Elizabeth II had hoped that her embattled son Prince Andrew could salvage his damaged reputation by undertaking charity work.

The Duke of York, 62, was kicked out of Buckingham Palace last month and took a step back from royal duties in 2019 following the publicization of his association with convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. A woman named Virginia Giuffre claimed that Epstein and the now-jailed Ghislaine Maxwell forced her to have sex with Prince Andrew when she was just 17.

The late queen — who died in September 2022 — suggested that Andrew spend his energy helping others to help distance himself from the sex offender, a source told the Independent recently.

The insider also noted that “other members of the family agreed and saw it as his only way to rehabilitation.”

However, another source told the Daily Beast that Andrew’s brother King Charles III will not support the rebrand.

“Charles has made it clear there is no way back to public life for Andrew. If he wants to go and do charitable work that will be up to him,” they said.

Attorney Spencer Kuvin — who defended nine of Epstein’s victims — told the Mirror that “there’s a PR campaign at work” regarding Andrew’s charitable actions and called the move “unbelievable.”

Andrew, a father of two, was also stripped of his military titles and royal patronages by the queen last year following a sexual assault lawsuit filed by Epstein accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre. Andrew reached a $12 million settlement with Giuffre at the time.

The Daily Mail reported at the time that Charles, 74, and his son Prince William desired that Andrew be exiled in order to ensure the “survival” of the royal family.

“This is about the survival of the institution at all costs. Always has been and always will be,” a senior palace insider told the publication.

“The removal of titles and patronages means the institution can now legitimately say it is not involved,” the insider added. “It was a ruthless and swift decision which will have been recommended by the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge and sanctioned by the Queen.”

Since Andrew’s scandals surfaced, he reportedly rarely leaves his home and watches TV for most of his day.

Insiders disclosed to the Telegraph last October: “These days, he barely goes out at all. He rarely goes out socially in the evening — where would he go? The only times he used to go out were to visit the queen at the castle and now he can’t even do that.”

The former helicopter pilot was also not allowed to wear his military uniform to his mother’s funeral last fall.