In recent weeks, Prince Andrew has faced withering criticism. This newfound focus comes on the heels of Virginia Giuffre’s posthumous memoir hitting the press, where she details her traumatic experiences as one of the victims from Jeffrey Epstein’s supposed sex-trafficking ring. At 65 years of age, Prince Andrew has today forced himself to renounce his royal title as the Duke of York. Today, he finds himself engulfed in scandal—particularly over the allegations asserted against him by Giuffre. Even after having agreed to pay her an undisclosed sum as part of a settlement, he still denies any wrongdoing.
At just 17 years old, Virginia Giuffre was initially forced into Epstein’s vast web. She went on to allege that Prince Andrew had sex with her on three different occasions. Each of these allegations led to massive media coverage and public outcry. Kate, an influential woman in the pro-monarchy camp and member of the British royal family, called Prince Andrew’s behavior “inexcusable.” Nonetheless, she claimed that his controversies did not change her mind that Australia should continue as a constitutional monarchy.
That was the view expressed by Philip Benwell, national chair of the Australian Monarchist League. He went on to say that Australians shouldn’t hold King Charles responsible for the sinister deeds of his brethren. A large contingent of Australians remain fervent supporters of the royal family. This view of things illustrates their devotion, even considering the scandals involving Prince Andrew.
It was a very clear decision that Australians made in 1999. Almost 55 percent said no to moving to a republic and decided to maintain their tie to the monarchy. As current polling indicates, if a referendum were held today, more Australians would vote against the creation of a republic than in 1999. The margin against it might be even larger at this point. Despite this, recent surveys seem to show that a majority of the public remain pro-monarchy. For example, according to a recent YouGov poll, only 13 percent of Britons have a favorable impression of Prince Andrew, and only 19 percent of Australians do.
The cumulative effect of these events is the increased pressure Prince Andrew is now under. The varied resurfacing of Giuffre’s story through her memoir has renewed calls for Epstein’s accountability — and more importantly, the consequences of his actions — once again. Despite the finality of that ruling, public support on this complicated issue remains mixed. Most Australians, it appears, are able to disengage their opinions on the royal family from scandals involving individual members, like Prince Andrew.
Political analysts suggest that this enduring support for the monarchy may stem from a longstanding historical relationship between Australia and the British crown. For others, the monarchy is a deeply important symbol of tradition and continuity. It’s made powerful by what it has withstood over the years. Debates around the future constitutional governance of Australia continue today. Back home, it’s looking like Prince Andrew’s scandal won’t make a big impact on the monarchy’s standing in Australia.
