King Charles ‘must confront Andrew face-to-face’ for him to leave Royal Lodge: Latest

Earl Spencer has said he finds it hard when strangers tell him where they were when his sister Princess Diana died.

Charles Spencer discussed his grief on author Gyles Brandreth’s podcast, Rosebud, as he shared how “fundamentally unhappy” he becomes on the anniversary of her death every year.

He said: “I tell you what I do find quite difficult… it probably sounds ungracious but occasionally total strangers come up and feel they must tell me where they were when they heard she died.

“I’m sure that’s helpful to them, it’s not entirely helpful to everyone else.”

MPs could debate Prince Andrew’s conduct, his 30-room mansion and the possibility of stripping him of his dukedom.

The Government has so far refused to allocate time in the House of Commons for MPs to discuss Andrew’s situation because the royal family wants Parliament to focus on “important issues”.

But the issue could be raised on one of the days when ministers are not in control of the parliamentary timetable.

A Liberal Democrat source indicated to the Sunday Times that the party could be prepared to use one of its opposition days to allow MPs to discuss Andrew’s behaviour.

The co-author of Virginia Giuffre’s memoirs has said it’s “not too late” for Prince Andrew’s to come forward and say what he knew about the late paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.

The book’s co-author Amy Wallace said Ms Giuffre wanted “wealthy, powerful men to be held to account” and said Andrew could still help victims of sexual abuse.

“He still denies what is in this book, we should say. But it’s not too late,” she said.

“He could continue to leave aside the things he’s accused of with Virginia. He could still come forward. He was in those houses, he was on the island, he was in the private jet numerous times.

“He could still come forward and say to the authorities, I want to validate these women’s experience.”

Cabinet minister Peter Kyle on Tuesday urged Andrew to cooperate with the US authorities and give evidence about Epstein’s crimes, Amy-Clare Martin writes.

In 2020, a federal investigator accused Andrew of providing “zero cooperation” with the US inquiry into Epstein and his conspirators, despite having promised that he was willing to help when he stood down from public duties in 2019.

This week, business secretary Mr Kyle urged him to stick to his word, telling ITV’s Good Morning Britain: “I think anybody that has any information that could bring justice and information to victims of Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes should be fully engaging with any of the authorities that are seeking to deliver that information and justice for the victims.”

He added: “Those victims must be first, and they must be central to how we discuss and debate any of these issues relating to the Jeffrey Epstein … situation, and the crimes he committed. So of course, anybody, anywhere that has information that can deliver that justice should be sharing it openly.

“I believe that Andrew, in the past, has said that he would cooperate, and I urge him to stick to his word on that.”

Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick agreed that Andrew should give evidence to the US authorities “about what he knew and what his involvement was” in the scandal.

Prince Andrew may have relinquished his royal titles, but his downfall appears to be far from over.

The royal – once widely reported to be Queen Elizabeth II’s favourite child – is facing calls to step away from public life forever as harrowing details of allegations against him are laid bare in Virginia Giuffre’s bombshell posthumous memoir.

The 65-year-old, who denies any wrongdoing, is also under mounting pressure to give up his 30-bedroom royal mansion and start cooperating with the FBI in their investigation into paedophile billionaire Jeffrey Epstein.

The Independent’s crime correspondent Amy-Clare Martin explains:

The co-author of Virginia Giuffre’s memoirs says Prince Andrew’s behaviour is “catching up with him” as he is reportedly in discussion about leaving his Royal Lodge home.

The book’s co-author Amy Wallace said Ms Giuffre wanted “wealthy, powerful men to be held to account”.

In an interview with the Associated Press, she said: “What we’re watching is Prince Andrew’s life is being eroded for his past behaviour.

“While he’s not being tried in a court of law, his behaviour’s catching up with him”.

Prince Andrew is reportedly in discussions about leaving Royal Lodge voluntarily following the furore over the “peppercorn” rent for his 30-room mansion.

Obstacles to reaching a settlement are reportedly where Andrew, eighth in line to the throne, will live and what financial recompense he will receive for the funds he spent renovating the home.

There are likely properties on the King’s private Balmoral estate in Scotland and his Sandringham estate in Norfolk that could house Andrew but whether he will accept a smaller home far from his supportive daughters remains to be seen.

Prince Andrew will likely be at the centre of a historic debate in the Commons, as MPs prepare to discuss his future.

In a major break from convention, the Liberal Democrats have ­signalled they intend to use their next Opposition Day to discuss formally removing Andrew’s titles, The Times reported.

Though such a debate will likely not pass legislation, it marks more pressure heading the royal family’s way.