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Prince Andrew can now reportedly end his self-imposed travel ban following his controversial ties to Jeffrey Epstein. And while the disgraced Duke of York can travel freely without fear of repercussions, royal experts insist to Fox News Digital that “Air Miles Andy” is no longer.
“Prince Andrew remains an embarrassment to the royal family,” royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told Fox News Digital. “No one has forgotten his infamous ‘Newsnight’ interview or the photograph with Epstein… He continues to be seen as an entitled imbecile.”
“He can only be seen with the royal family inside a church without attracting fiercely negative comment,” Fitzwilliams said. “[But] unless he accepts that he has been found guilty in the court of public opinion and… [shows] some repentance or, at the very least, something positive which helps others, at his best, his future is well behind him.”
Fox News Digital obtained a two-page internal Department of Justice (DOJ) and FBI memo that says that Epstein, a late American financier and convicted pedophile, died by suicide, and there is no list of clients who were involved in exploitation.
“This systemic review revealed no incriminating ‘client list,’” a portion of the memo read. “There was also no credible evidence found that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals as part of his actions. We did not uncover evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties.”
The memo also stated that Epstein died by suicide in 2019 in the Metropolitan Correctional Facility in New York City.
A source claimed to The Sun that the son of Queen Elizabeth II has been abroad only “once” since his controversial connection to Epstein came to light.
“He has always been very nervous about going abroad and felt he’d always be looking over his shoulder as he could be subject to civil action or, at worst, being arrested,” the source claimed to the outlet.
“Hopefully with this out of the way it means he can at least leave the country,” the insider continued. “What’s he supposed to do with the rest of his life? He hasn’t been convicted of any crime and can’t sit around doing nothing at Royal Lodge forever.”
A spokesperson for Buckingham Palace previously told Fox News Digital they don’t speak for the duke, as he’s no longer a working royal.
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Royal experts told Fox News Digital that Andrew originally earned the nickname “Air Miles Andy” for his frequent travels across the globe. However, British royals expert Hilary Fordwich pointed out to Fox News Digital that it’s likely Andrew will continue to keep his head down to avoid further humiliation and scrutiny.
“While Andrew might be feeling a sense of relief and cautious optimism, being now technically able to travel, both his personal and public prospects remain constrained by the enduring negative fallout, as well as his frightfully tarnished reputation from the Epstein scandal,” she explained.
“The media will [still] be relentless and most certainly not positive. They will also be more likely to be hostile, as well as embarrassing to the royal family, if he does travel to the U.S. He is not likely to ever regain public favor either nor return to any prominence.”
“He lost all his royal patronages and military roles,” Fordwich continued. “There is no indication whatsoever that King Charles III, or any senior royal, ever intends to rehabilitate his public image nor to restore his former status in any way.”
“Senior royals are far more concerned with protecting the institution’s reputation. Anything Andrew does is seen as… a liability. Prince William remains adamant regarding severely restricting any options for participation at all. So, he might travel, but not in any formal capacity.”
Fitzwilliams also questioned “what is the point of him?” referring to any contributions Andrew can make as a royal.
“He isn’t doing anything useful, although a job could be found helping to run the royal estates,” he said. “He may well cling on to the thirty-room Royal Lodge if he can afford the upkeep… He has a 75-year lease [that] he took out in 2003.”
“It’s noted that he did not offer to help with the FBI investigation, although he had originally offered to do so,” said Fitzwilliams. “It should also be stressed that he has not been found guilty of anything and has always maintained his innocence.”
King Charles’ younger brother stepped back as a senior royal in 2019 following his nuclear televised interview with BBC’s “Newsnight” about his ties to Epstein. At the time, the royal said he regretted his relationship with the 66-year-old.
In January 2022, the queen, who died in September of that year, stripped her second son of his military titles and patronages. At the time, the father of two attempted to have a sexual abuse lawsuit made by Virginia Giuffre dismissed. Andrew settled with Giuffre for an undisclosed sum, agreeing to make a “substantial donation” to her survivors’ organization.
A statement filed in court said that the prince acknowledged Epstein was a sex trafficker and Giuffre “an established victim of abuse.”
Giuffre said Epstein trafficked her and that she had sex with Andrew three times: in London during her 2001 trip, at Epstein’s New York mansion when she was 17, and in the Virgin Islands when she was 18.
She took her life in April of this year at her farm in Western Australia, her publicist confirmed. She was 41.
It is believed that Andrew first met Epstein in 1999. Andrew claimed he cut ties with Epstein shortly after the pair were photographed taking a stroll through Central Park.
Epstein killed himself while awaiting trial on U.S. federal sex trafficking charges involving dozens of teenage girls and young women, some as young as 14. The charges came 14 years after police in Palm Beach, Florida, first began investigating allegations that he sexually abused underage girls who were hired to give him massages.
Epstein’s partner in crime, Ghislaine Maxwell, was convicted in 2021 on federal sex trafficking and conspiracy charges. The British socialite, 63, was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Kinsey Schofield, host of the To Di for Daily podcast, previously told Fox News Digital that Andrew’s reputation is forever tarnished. At this point, she argued, he should never be seen or heard from again as there’s nothing he can do to redeem himself publicly.
“Andrew needs to avoid being seen or heard for the rest of King Charles’ reign,” said Schofield. “If you want to attend church with your family, fine — stay 100 feet behind them when photographers are around. Otherwise, he should continue… horse riding privately on the property that King Charles asked him to surrender. Whether he’s innocent of the initial accusations is irrelevant. He’s guilty by association with Jeffrey Epstein.”
Fox News Digital’s Peter D’Abrosca and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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