Though the media spend a significant amount of time talking about the ups and downs of Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle, they are far from being the most controversial people in the Royal Family.
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That title falls on Prince Andrew. Queen Elizabeth II’s third child has had a thunderous few years. His friendships with convicted peadophile Jeffrey Epstein and child sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell have led to Prince Andrew being accused of rape.
Following his car crash interview with Newsnight in 2019, Prince Andrew was stripped from his ‘royal highness’ title and barred from public duties. One would assume that all of this would be worth making it into The Crown but this is not the case.
Peter Morgan hasn’t got ‘anywhere near’ Prince Andrew
The first part of the sixth and final season of The Crown will be coming out on 16 November on Netflix while the finale will make it on Netflix on 14 December. The Crown represents a pivotal moment for the streaming giant and solidified its place as not only a streaming platform but also as a creator and producer of successful shows.
Throughout its broadcasting, The Crown tackled several royal scandals. For instance, its sixth season promises to focus on Lady Diana in the 1990s (royal divorce incoming). However, Peter Morgan has decided against addressing Prince Andrew’s friendship with Epstein and Maxwell.
In an interview with Variety the show’s creator is asked about this omission. He answers:
Haven’t gone anywhere near him
Morgan argues that he always focused on the line of succession, which will also explain why the sixth season will mostly target Prince William. However, one could argue that Morgan isn’t fully truthful. Indeed, doesn’t the first two seasons give a lot of air time to Princess Margaret?
Prince Andrew spared once more
Prince Andrew is one lucky royal. His scandal, while still receiving significant media attention, has not led to the same consequences other members of the Royal Family have had coming their way.
As we’ve already mentioned, Prince Harry and his wife have arguably had a harder time in the most recent years even though all they really did was step down from being senior members of the family.
In the past months (since August 2023) we have seen Prince Andrew almost being welcomed back into the royal fold. He was driven by Prince William, the heir to the throne, to church at the end of August. Moreover, the Prince was given a bit more time to prove to his brother King Charles III that he could keep his house, Royal Lodge.
At the beginning of September 2023, it was also revealed by an historian that documents concerning his time as trade envoy would not be made accessible to the public. In this instance, Prince Andrew is protected by the Firm by not being subjected to the Freedom of Information Act which ensures that the public has access to ‘information held by public authorities’.
While it is true that the Royal Family’s documents don’t fall under this act, historians and royal experts were confused by this decision to also keep information about a role that was funded by taxpayers. Moreover, the decision led to allegations of something needing to be hidden.
It appears that even fictionalised fiction must continue to shield Prince Andrew from furthering his public scandal. Lucky him.
Read more:
⋙ Prince Harry and Meghan villainized once again by former royal staff in bombshell claim
⋙ Prince Andrew can stay at Royal Lodge but the King has one pricey condition
Sources:
Newsweek: The Major Royal Scandal Missing From 'The Crown' Finale
Variety: Long Live ‘The Crown’: Peter Morgan Confronts Final Season Rumors (Diana’s Ghost!), Prequel Buzz and Claims of Exploiting the Royal Family
Edinburgh Live: Prince Andrew will have to live for 105 years before 'secret' government files can be released
BBC News: Prince Andrew: Envoy career plagued with controversy
Information Commissioner's Officer: What is the Freedom of Information Act?
