Prince Edward had no choice – he had to offer up some kind of answer when asked about the Epstein scandal.
It shows the dilemma facing the Royal Family at the moment and how much Andrew continues to be an uncomfortable distraction to all of their work.
As they carry out engagements, a trip to the UAE for Edward in this case, all the world really wants to know is how they feel about the latest revelations revealed in the Epstein files and what it means for Andrew.
Edward’s response, when asked how the family were coping, was in many ways sticking to the official line, again bringing it back to remembering the victims.
A message we first heard loud and clear in October when the palace released a statement saying the King and Queen’s “thoughts and utmost sympathies have been, and will remain with, the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse”.
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It was also in that statement that we were reminded why the King felt he had to take the ultimate action against his brother, stripping him of his titles and his home, because his links to Epstein were taking people’s attention away from all of their work.
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But this latest drop of files has again shown how out of their control this scandal continues to be, this time Edward, Andrew’s younger brother, left to face the questions.
Although with this phrasing from Edward: “Who are the victims in all this? A lot of victims in this”, you do wonder if he may also have been thinking of their wider family and the monarchy as potential victims of this ongoing scandal.
