Daily Politics from the New Statesman Andrew, Epstein and the crumbling crown
Feb 25, 2026
Will Lloyd, royal correspondent and deputy/editorial contributor at the New Statesman, outlines the fallout from Andrew's arrest and his links to Jeffrey Epstein. He talks about the palace losing control, the limits of old royal PR, collapsing public deference, questions of accountability and comparisons with other royal figures. Short, sharp takes on how the monarchy is being tested.
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Palace No Longer Controls The Andrew Narrative
- The core crisis is loss of palace control as events about Prince Andrew are driven by courts, police and Parliament rather than royal messaging.
- Will Lloyd notes released documents and Commons action will force information out of the palace's hands, undermining their PR strategy.
Deference To The Crown Has Evaporated
- Deference toward the monarchy has sharply declined and the royal press pack is now among the last holdouts.
- Oli Dugmore argues public reverence that sustained past strategies like "never complain, never explain" no longer exists.
Queen's Symbolic Role Sustained Military Loyalty
- The late Queen functioned almost like a deity for some, especially service members, creating deep symbolic loyalty.
- Will Lloyd recounts soldiers speaking of the Queen with awe, tying military sacrifice to monarchic reverence.
