As we recorded our first Gossip with Celebitchy podcast in months, CB and I talked about how the Prince Andrew situation blew up in the Windsors’ faces specifically because with the side-by-side comparison to how they treated the Sussexes. In my opinion, King Charles welcoming Andrew and Sarah Ferguson to so many public events (Christmas, Easter, funerals, the coronation) was always meant for an audience of one: Prince Harry. They were telling Harry, “this could have been your life, we would welcome you this way, if only you hadn’t left!” And now that everyone can plainly see just what an evil, degenerate, human-trafficking liar Andrew has always been, the Windsors just look crazy as hell. They look like they’re totally fine with all of Andrew’s depravity because he didn’t commit the ultimate sin of marrying a Black woman and moving out of the country. Well, the i Newspaper’s Rebecca Reid focused on this side-by-side comparison in a new column: “This is what a real royal scandal looks like – we owe Harry and Meghan an apology.” Six years too late, but sure.
There is so much that is sad about the story of the even-further-disgraced Prince Andrew and the late Virginia Giuffre. First and foremost is the trajectory of Giuffre’s life, which was cut horrifyingly short, and defined by the actions of the men who surrounded her as a teenager. But there are other sadnesses about this whole sordid mess, too. One is the way it puts in relief the previous most high profile royal “scandal”: the unhappiness and eventual departure of Harry and Meghan.
At the time, Harry and Megan’s defection from working royals to influencers/podcasters was a major controversy – one of the most serious the family had weathered in recent years. But now, in comparison to the miserable details alleged in Virginia Giuffre’s posthumous memoir, we can see it for what it is: extremely small fry.
It’s really quite staggering that in their years as working royals, Harry and Meghan managed to be at the centre of dozens of dramas. Yet none of them could be described as actually dangerous or evil. Yes, Meghan did accuse the royals of racism – which was a terrible blow for the family, but that was all part of a battle to drag the royals into the 21st century. What’s more, they were at least trying to be the kind of royals the country would embrace.
Just look at their insistence on paying for the Frogmore Cottage renovation to deflect allegations that they were indulgent, despite the fact that they were entirely entitled to a renovated home. Were they occasionally cringe or tone-deaf? Yes. And doesn’t that seem like a complete non-issue when you see what a real scandal looks like?
If someone was sitting in an office cranking out inoffensive plot lines for the couple, they couldn’t have done a better job. And yet if social media is anything to go by, Harry and Meghan appear to be held in the low regard as Andrew and Fergie. It’s profoundly depressing.
This is despite the fact that Prince Andrew is accused of allegedly asking his personal protection officer to “dig up dirt” on Virginia Giuffre, presumably to create a smear campaign against a victim of sexual abuse. It’s not uncommon to see Andrew and the Sussexes discussed in the same breath. They are seemingly unified by the embarrassment they cause to The Firm, as if being embroiled in a horrifying sex scandal and maintaining a friendship with a convicted sex offender (while lying about being friends with said convicted sex offender) is on par with being a bit earnest in interviews, asking for security and selling overpriced jams.
There were rumours last month that Prince Harry’s presence in the UK, and audience with his father, might signal a return to the family fold. The onus seemed to be placed on Harry, as if it was his responsibility to convince the Mountbatten-Windsor clan to allow him back into family life.But if King Charles and the rest of the gang have even an ounce of sense, the events of the last week, and the juxtaposition between Andrew and Harry, should clarify exactly how lucky the royals were to have Harry and Meghan. And how advantageous it would be to bring them back. The pair might be cack-handed on the public relations front and I don’t deny that they’ve got a special skill for annoying the British public. But compared to Prince Andrew they’re literal angels.
While I take this column at face value and I believe she’s being sincere, this column was actually depressing as well. Like, it’s taken this long for someone to acknowledge this? British people could only step back and say “wait, the Sussexes never did anything scandalous” only after the scope of Andrew’s criminality, lies, trafficking and degeneracy came to a head in recent weeks? Y’all didn’t realize that BEFORE October 2025? Where are the critical thinking skills over there? And of course it’s been obvious since 2020 that the Windsors should beg the Sussexes to come back. The fact that the Windsors refuse to – and also refuse to acknowledge how much they actually need the Sussex family – says everything you need to know about the lack of long-term planning within the institution.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid.
