Daniel Wolfram
The former prince does still have some support within the Royal Navy
When prominent public figures face disgrace, storied institutions usually try to erase their legacy.
That is the case for one of the most prominent members of the British Royal Family after a major scandal.
But it seems as though he might still receive a royal funeral.
Secret funeral plans
The Daily Mail reported that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, son of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II and brother of King Charles, remains on a confidential government list for a high-profile ceremonial funeral.
Secret arrangements known as “the Bridge plans” dictate how the British state handles royal deaths.
Andrew would rest near his relative, King Edward VIII, who was buried at the private estate after his own abdication and controversial exile. King Edward VIII is known for his deeply controversial ties to Adolf Hitler.
The Epstein scandal
The former Prince Andrew’s close ties to Jeffrey Epstein ruined his public standing. Yet the funeral arrangements persist. Andrew stepped back from official duties in 2019 following a disastrous television interview about that friendship.
His mother, Queen Elizabeth II, stripped him of his military patronages in 2022 before her death after Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre filed a sexual assault lawsuit against Andrew, which they later settled out of court.
Troubles deepened last year. This time his brother, King Charles, stripped the prince of his royal titles after the U.S. Department of Justice released evidence of numerous photos linking Andrew directly to Epstein.
Legal trouble mounted quickly. Authorities arrested him on suspicion of misconduct in public office for allegedly sharing confidential trade information with Epstein. The former prince was later released and the case is still pending.
Loyal military service
While the public may have turned its back on the scandalous, now-former prince, retired Rear Admiral Chris Parry told the Daily Mail that naval officers would likely step up to carry his coffin.
“The guy doesn’t relinquish being a naval officer,” Parry told the paper, pointing to Andrew’s active service during the Falklands War. “He wasn’t thrown out. He had a Falklands medal, and you can’t take that away from him, and he deserves the credit for that. If somebody said to me, ‘Would you do it?’ I’d do it.”
The scandal continues to strain the monarchy’s standing.
The former press secretary to Queen Elizabeth II, Ailsa Anderson, told PEOPLE that public reverence for the institution is slipping away. “That reverence people once had for the royal family is disappearing. This is the damage Andrew has done,” she said.
