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Prince Andrew’s Arrest Prove It’s Time for King Charles to Hand Power to His Heir

Prince William must be allowed to get on with reshaping the monarchy.

opinion

We’re in the midst of the biggest royal crisis since the abdication of 1936—and Prince William should have the chance to use it to completely restructure the monarchy. With the arrest of former Prince Andrew this morning on suspicion of his “committing misconduct in public office,” and as British police assess allegations that women were trafficked to his Royal Lodge, there’s a real possibility that King Charles knew about his brother’s associations with Jeffrey Epstein. That will leave prosecutors in a very uncomfortable position. William, who understands the structural threat Andrew poses, will not permit this situation to endure when he is on the throne. Therefore, it would make sense for his father to settle it now: Charles should clearly strip Andrew of his place in the order of succession. Though the King’s illness complicates the optics, it makes decisive action even more urgent. No son wishes to appear to be maneuvering while his father is undergoing cancer treatment. However, as the abdication crisis demonstrated, survival sometimes requires cruelty. Queen Elizabeth internalized that lesson. She was capable of personal warmth, but when the institution demanded ruthlessness, she didn’t shy away from it. Charles needs to act now. Click through to The Royalist to learn what that should entail.

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