Prince Andrew is the son of Elizabeth. What kind of mother Elizabeth II was for her children. British Prince Andrew and his Baku connections
Toxic marriages are not uncommon in the royal family, but Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson's union is unlike any of them. It's no joke: they divorced more than twenty years ago, but they still cannot part. They call themselves "the happiest divorced couple in the world", and indeed, it seems that these two live much better outside of marriage and the notorious royal protocol. You don’t have to go far for evidence: the former spouses still appear together at the Royal Ascot races, have dinner from time to time, and the press does not get tired of predicting their re-engagement year after year.
But, it seems that Sarah herself, even under pain of death, will not return to the palace chambers. The Duchess of York has always been one of the smileiest royals in the Windsor family, but it wasn't until her divorce that she began to truly smile. Like Princess Diana, she too liked to feel life in its absolute - to love, laugh, rejoice and not look at the opinion of society.
And, unexpectedly, this story from the dark Windsor saga has a very happy ending. So Sarah herself decided.
Karmic girlfriends
Young Sarah Margaret Ferguson and her close friend Diana Spencer had a lot in common. Both, for example, came from the British aristocracy. True, if Lady Spencer could boast of an earl father, then her friend formally did not have any titles. All she could do was casually mention that her family tree stretches back to Charles II, who ruled back in the 17th century. But the girl almost never did this: against the background of Lady Diana, whose family lived in an old family estate, this comment seemed a pathetic attempt to impersonate who she never was.
However, both were members of the royal court. Diana - as a potential bride, first Prince Andrew, and then the Prince of Wales, Sarah - as the daughter of a major in the Royal Forces and part-time former coach of little Charles. As a child, Sarah often played with the children of Elizabeth, including Andrew, but then, of course, no one could have imagined that this red-haired, always laughing girl, without a hint of royal manners, could somehow intermarry with the monarch's family .
Diana and Sarah spent a lot of time together. They have been friends since they were 14 years old. While Father Spencer stubbornly cast nets into the royal family, trying to arrange an alliance with Charles for his eldest daughter, and marriage to Andrew for his youngest, Diana, the girlfriends attended parties, shared secrets and talked a lot. There was something to talk about: early childhood both faced the fact that their mothers ran away from the family. Diana's mother, Francis, ran away from John Spencer after 13 years of marriage (read: The Spencer Family: Who's Really Behind Princess Diana's Tragedy). Sarah's mother, Susan Marie Wright, left the family when her daughter was only 15. And not just left, but fled to Argentina with a young polo player.
“I could not understand: how could you leave the children? It is better to die than to leave your child, ”the Princess of Wales later admits to journalists. “In fact, I hardly understand how my mother could leave my sister and me and just take it and disappear,” the Duchess of York will echo her friend.
Both parents, by the way, once also were friends with each other, studying at the same school in Dowham, and, perhaps, this is what determined the future karmic nature of the warm relationship between the two Windsor brides.
Red-haired beast with a ruby ring
All her life, Diana Spencer prepared herself for marriage to Andrew and for the title of Duchess. The girl liked to imagine herself a heroine from a medieval fairy tale, which, by the way, had all the necessary attributes: a difficult childhood, an evil stepmother (so, at least, it seemed to Diana) and Prince Andrew looming somewhere on the horizon, who sooner or later will take her to his palace. The fairy tale of her own composition had to be urgently rewritten in 1977, when her older sister Sarah Spencer with one careless comment forever turned away from her candidacy for the Prince of Wales. The assembly line of Spencer's daughters had shifted one place: now it was up to Diana to get Charles. What, as you know, happened in 1981, when the heir, desperate to build his happiness with Camilla, made a marriage proposal to 19-year-old Lady Spencer.
From the very first months after the wedding, Diana understood: fairy tales do not exist (read: "Princess Diana:" I cut my veins already during my honeymoon ""). Now the newly-made Princess of Wales imagined herself nothing more than a prisoner of a monstrous protocol, where the prince's wife is obliged to portray happiness, while he secretly dreams of another. The old family left her completely alone, the new one was only annoyed by the frightened behavior of the new daughter-in-law, at some point believing that she was mentally ill. Sarah Ferguson, with whom Diana periodically crossed paths at official events, remained her only outlet.
Diana's friend - for her own happiness or for her misfortune - never prepared herself for any marriages with princes. Therefore, her youth, like that of every second London girl, was stormy, drunken and romantic. Later, in 1986, when Sarah was already five minutes to the duchess, The Times even dug up her photo from the graduation from the boarding school, where she - without a single hint of a swimsuit - rushes into the school pool. This was the whole of Sarah: always smiling, attracting men, shameless, a real red-haired beast.
Perhaps no one will ever know whether the Princess of Wales really was guided by selfish motives when she decided to introduce her close friend to Prince Andrew in 1985, but twenty years after the death of the "Queen of Human Hearts" it is difficult to get rid of the thought that Diana desired, so that next to her on the other side of the royal gates was "his" person.
In any case, Sarah herself was fascinated by the mature Andrew, and although she herself, at 26, was well aware that there was no smell of a wedding here (since she is not an aristocrat and, more importantly, not a virgin), she is without a twinge of conscience, with her characteristic adventurism dived into an unusual relationship. And she lost her head. Just like her Andrew.
The middle son of the Queen raised the issue of engagement with Sarah point-blank: either he marries his beloved, or he takes the first prostitute who got into his bed as his wife. It was easy to believe it: Andrew, a five-minute stately captain of the Royal Navy, mooring to foreign shores, of course, was not just sightseeing. In addition, the prince had a precedent - the marriage of his sister Anna, who tied herself in a love marriage. And the Queen, considering that the Crown had already had a second generation of heirs (meaning William and Harry), gave the green light to a dubious marriage.
Andrew was inspired: seeing how Sarah glances at her friend's famous sapphire ring, he rushed at full sail to Garrard for something similar. And found. In 1986, the prince, radiant with happiness, went to the press, leading his beloved by the arm, on whose ring finger was a magnificent ring with a Burmese ruby surrounded by ten small diamonds. Choosing a fiery stone, the son of Elizabeth was inspired by the hair of his bride. Alas, if Andrew had thought about what a curse ruby engagement rings carry in the Windsor dynasty, perhaps his choice would have fallen on another stone. But you can't take back what's been done: Sarah, with a charming smile and thoughts of a wonderful future, signed up for the most hectic few years of her life.
fire and air
Diana's close friend finally triumphantly entered the royal family. Like many brides of princes "of the people", Sarah was perceived as a breath of fresh air. Andrew and his lover had a magnificent wedding (by the way, like Diana and Charles - in July) - grandiose, with a magnificent wedding in Westminster Abbey and with the solemn award of the titles of the Duke and Duchess of York. Two years later, the couple will have their first daughter, Princess Beatrice, and a couple of years later, baby Eugenia.
Diana rejoiced for the happiness of her friend - as much as a woman can, who herself has lost faith in her own marriage. Was it sincere? Later, the Princess of Wales admits that she seriously expected that Sarah would soon withdraw into herself, unable to withstand the oppression of palace rules and the temper of the royal family. So it was with herself, and only such a scenario Diana considered the only possible and universal for any Windsor daughter-in-law. But it was not in Sarah's nature to despair. Possessing a natural charm and easy disposition, Sarah suddenly became a family favorite. During almost every meal, the newly-made Duchess of York sparkled with humor, falling in love with every member of the family.
Diana later recalled that Sarah and Andrew had not yet been engaged, and the Windsor family fascinatedly sentenced that she should have been like a friend. “Well, why can’t you just be as cheerful as Sarah?” Charles asked her at the same time. And Diana, who took every little thing to heart, looked at her friend with different eyes. It was jealousy.
Guided by the opinion of the royal family, the Princess of Wales tried on purpose to awaken in herself something that was almost gone in her, but Sarah had in abundance - natural spontaneity and love for extreme sports, which in the performance of Diana sometimes resulted in outright recklessness. She ran away to concerts, pulling on leather pants, in front of everyone during the races at Ascot, together with Sarah, pretended to poke an umbrella into the priests of the ladies walking. These were flagrant violations of etiquette, but Sarah looked so natural and harmless that she always got away with such antics. Diana was less fortunate.
“I was very jealous of her,” the Princess of Wales recalled, “I did not understand how she managed to relate to everything so easily. While I struggled to simply survive, she seemed to enjoy her position.”
Unlike Diana, who was thrown into the royal family by a naive 20-year-old girl, it was easier for 27-year-old Sarah to accept the prickly rules of palace protocol. But this did not mean at all that she perceived her new duties with enthusiasm. After the birth of her first daughter, the woman began to rapidly gain weight - both the natural predisposition and the stress experienced had an effect. Against the background of Diana, she began to look worse and worse. Newspapers vied with each other to compare the graceful style of the Princess of Wales with Sarah's slightly provincial manner, her modest smile with the loud laugh of the Duchess of York, her thin waist- with the plump figure of Andrew's wife. After it came into being younger Eugenia, the Duchess already weighed more than 100 kilograms, for which she received the nickname "Duchess of Pork" (pork - pork). “I believed everything that was written. It seemed to me that this was true. I was so unhappy and ate all the time. Then I was almost crushed by criticism for the fact that I gained a lot. It was vicious circle, and I didn’t know how to break it,” Sarah will later say, even admitting that she would like to suffer from bulimia, like Diana, so that her problems would not be reflected in the figure. It is symbolic that eating disorders will also become common in the fates of the two friends.
Something else will also unite: mutual infidelity to husbands. Moreover, all four will have very different motives. Charles will cheat on Diana out of love for Camilla, Diana will cheat on Charles out of revenge, Andrew will cheat on Sarah out of an old port habit, and she will cheat on him out of longing. The Duke of York will often disappear on the voyage on duty, so his wife will have to seek solace in the arms of other men. Sarah didn't know how to be faithful. This was clear before. She loved too much male attention, and perhaps this is what united her with Aunt Andrew - Princess Margaret.
She was increasingly noticed in the company different men, which included, among others, millionaire Steve White, financier Johnny Brien and even actor Sylvester Stallone. Rumors about her windiness were deliberately cultivated by the press. The people stopped respecting her, now she was called simply and unpretentiously - Fergie.
Their marriage with Andrew lasted six years - in 1992 they broke up, and four years later they officially announced a divorce. So the loud parting of Charles and Diana was followed by no less loud parting of the Duke and Duchess of York. A year later, a close friend of Sarah's will die in Paris, tragically cutting off the story of the Prince and Princess of Wales. Perhaps, with her death, the karmic connection between the two friends will also be interrupted - Sarah will finally embark on the path of happiness. But outside of the royal family.
Instead of an epilogue
“They stand next to each other, as if they were picked up by a computer,” the Queen Mother once joked about Sarah and Andrew. And her words did not fly into the air, because the Duke and Duchess of York (after the divorce, the woman retained her title) did not burn bridges even after parting. Sarah lived with her ex-husband for several more years, raising children with him. The former mother-in-law, however, hastened to instantly cross out the red-haired harlot from her circle: the duchess will not even receive an invitation to the wedding of William and Catherine.
Of course, after the divorce, Sarah's life did not immediately return to normal. There was everything: depression, and drunkenness, and embezzlement. “I am aware of the fact that I drank quite heavily. You see, at that time I was not myself. When this whole story lasted, I was at the very bottom. I left the royal family in order to find freedom, and with freedom came need. Now I have a completely desperate situation, ”Sara told reporters. It was cunning: of course, no one left her without compensation. She just spent all her money on endless parties and business adventures.
There were also scandals: for example, when an undercover reporter from the tabloid News of the World, pretending to be a businessman, asked Sarah to arrange a meeting with Andrew, and she asked for half a million pounds sterling for the service. The video has hit the web. Sarah went deeper and deeper into the bottom.
But, perhaps, this was exactly what she needed - and from the very bottom, Sarah, pulling herself together, very soon reached for the stars. She got back in shape, wrote several books about it, made a film about Queen Victoria, and gradually regained her good name. Appreciated the efforts ex-sister-in-law even Elizabeth II, who for the past few years has even invited the Duchess to her own events and holidays in Balmoral.
Sarah, Duchess of York, is once again enjoying life as if she were in her turbulent 20s. Events. And three days before her birthday, they, along with Andrew, married their youngest daughter, Princess Eugenie. And this royal wedding was in no way inferior to the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. And, of course, Sarah was the main star of this wedding after the bride.
This year, Sarah turns 59 years old - and it seems clear in her case: life begins not after 40, but after a divorce from the Windsors.
Prince Andrew is heir to the English throne. Served in the Navy. Has the rank of Rear Admiral. His full name- Andrew Albert Christian Edward.
Biography of the prince
Prince Andrew was born on February 19, 1960. By Chinese calendar it was the year of the Rat. He became the third child in the family of the British Queen Elizabeth II after Prince Charles and Princess Anne.
From childhood he was brought up in Buckingham Palace and was perceived as one of the likely heirs to the throne. Now, however, such a development option is practically impossible. He is 6th in the order of succession to the British crown.
Title of the Duke of York
At the age of 26, he was granted the title of duke. It happened on the day Prince Andrew married Sarah Ferguson. This is the title given by the kings of England and later Great Britain to members of their families. It has been leading its history since the end of the 14th century. Almost always it is received by the second son of the monarch. During this time, an exception was made only once. The name of the title comes from the British city of York, located in the county of North Yorkshire.
The title was first given in 1385 to Edmund Langley, the fourth son of Edward III. He became the founder of the House of York. A war broke out between this dynasty and the Lancasters in the 15th century, known as the War of the Scarlet and White Roses.
The military confrontation, which lasted from 1455 to 1487, ended with the triumph of the Tudors, who marked the beginning of the New Age in English history.
Today, Prince Andrew is the Duke of York.
Unhappy marriage
The duke's wife was the famous English writer and philanthropist Sarah Ferguson. She is actively engaged social activities is a TV presenter and film producer. At the time of her marriage, she was 27 years old.
She was born in London to Major Ronald Ferguson and his wife Susan. After the divorce, her mother married a polo player and moved to permanent place residence in Argentina.
Sarah received an excellent education at the College of Royal Secretaries and has been working in a public relations company since the age of 18.
The wedding of Prince Andrew and Sarah took place in Westminster Abbey. After her marriage, she became the Duchess of York. However, the marriage was not successful. After 10 years they divorced. During this time they gave birth to two children - Beatrice and Eugene.
After breaking up with Andrew, Sarah lost her royal title, but retained her ducal one. She can part with him only in the event of a second marriage. Prince Andrew, Duke of York, whose personal life worries most British subjects, after the divorce decided not to start a new relationship. To this day, he remains single.
Another interesting fact about the duchess. In the popular series Friends, in the fourth season, she made a cameo appearance when Joey asks for compliments on Chandler's hat. There is a clear allusion to the passion for headdresses of the current British Queen Elizabeth II.
Eldest daughter
Prince Andrew's children this moment are members of the royal family, are seventh and eighth respectively in the list of succession to the throne.
The eldest daughter, Beatrice, was born in 1988. She was educated at Winsor School. As a child, she was a quiet and withdrawn child. The big tragedy was the divorce of the parents, the separation from the mother happened when she was 8 years old. At the same time, she attracted the eyes of others with her modesty, natural beauty and charm. Over time, she became one of the most talked about beauties of the British Empire.
Unlike many other children of royalty, especially outside the UK, Beatrice lives a full life, often appears in public. She loves to go to fashion shows.
Work experience, which all members of the royal family must receive, Beatrice acquired at the age of 19 in a popular London supermarket. She served important clients. She spent a month at this job without getting paid for it.
In 2009, her car was stolen from the parking lot while the princess herself went shopping. Despite the fact that the car was left open and with the keys in the ignition, many were surprised by the theft of the car. After all, it was an exclusive BMW with unique numbers. This gift was made by her father - Prince Andrew.
At the age of 19, just like her mother, she appeared on television. Beatrice played an episodic role in Jean-Marc Vallee's drama Young Victoria. She played one of the royal ladies-in-waiting.
Today in the UK, the issue of the expediency of maintaining the royal family is being actively discussed. Only the protection of princesses annually takes a lot of budgetary money. At the same time, Beatrice often leads a nightlife, visits clubs and discos.
Princess Eugenie
British Princess Eugenie is eighth in the British crown's list of succession to the throne. She was born in 1990.
Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson baptized their daughter at St. Magdalene Church. This was the first public baptism of a royal in the history of the British crown. She has the title of princess.
In her full name, she goes by the name Victoria. It was the will of the famous British Queen Victoria, but few of her descendants in the female line carried it out. Eugenie became the first Princess Victoria since the time of Princess Marie, who lived at the beginning of the 20th century.
Order of succession
Prince Andrew, son of Elizabeth II, is sixth in the line of succession to the British crown. The current monarch is followed by the son of Elizabeth II, Prince Charles, who is already 68 years old. It is he who, in the event of the death of his mother, will become the British monarch.
The next two of his sons on this list are William and Harry. William has the title of Duke of Cambridge, he is 34 years old. He was born from the marriage of Prince Charles to Princess Diana. He graduated from Eton College, visited many countries of the world, even reached Chile. Labor service took place on a British dairy farm.
Receiving a second higher education, he defended thesis dedicated coral reefs. His second university was Scottish university Saint Andrew. And after that he did not leave his studies, he decided to receive a military education. At the Royal Military Academy he was awarded the rank of officer, served in the air force.
He is currently serving in a rescue helicopter with the rank of captain.
Prince Harry scandals
His brother Prince Harry is the Prince of Wales, as is his father Prince Charles. He is 32 years old. At the same time, in the future, the title of Duke of York will most likely pass to him, since Andrew has no sons. It is followed by the glory of a difficult child, constantly getting into trouble. At the age of 17, he was caught using marijuana. Like his brother, he graduated from Eton College and went to travel the world. Traveled to Australia and Africa.
Filmed on the Black Continent documentary about the plight of orphans in one of the poorest countries in the world - Lesotho.
In 2005 he got another into one scandalous situation, to which for a long time the close attention of the press was riveted. He came to a private costume party in military uniform German Wehrmacht with a swastika on the sleeve. As a result, he had to issue a formal apology through mass media.
In 2011, media attention was again riveted to him, but this time on a positive occasion. Prince Harry tried himself as a broker on the world stock exchange and closed the largest deal in the world - for 18 billion euros.
In 2012, he was on a business trip to a British military base in Afghanistan. According to the tabloids, it was Prince Harry who flew the Apache helicopter that destroyed one of the leaders of the Taliban terrorist movement.
Title transfer
Most likely, it will not be possible to inherit your title to its current bearer. Prince Andrew, Duke of York has no official sons. Therefore, after his death, the title will return to the crown and in the future may be assigned to another person of royal blood.
This will happen if Andrew does not marry again and have a son. Only in this case will a new, young Duke of York appear.
Personal coat of arms
Britain's Prince Andrew has his own coat of arms. It is based on the coat of arms of the United Kingdom, like the rest of the royal family.
The emblem itself is a shield divided into four parts. Diagonally, in the first and fourth fields, is the English coat of arms - three golden leopards are depicted there. In another part - the Scottish coat of arms. It depicts a lion overgrown with lilies. In the rest of the shield, the Irish coat of arms is a harp shining with gold, located in an azure field. It also has silver strings.
On the shield are silver breezes (these are heraldic elements that distinguish representatives of the younger generation of a noble family). At their ends are sea anchors.
The shield itself is surrounded by the Order of the Garter. Heraldic animals hold it around the edges. On the left, the symbol of Scotland is a unicorn, on whose head is a crown with such breezes that are depicted on the shield. And on the right - the British lion, with exactly the same silver breezes.
Prince Awards
Like all British royalty, Prince Andrew has a large number of awards and titles from almost all territories that make up the United Kingdom.
Most of the awards, of course, were awarded to him in the UK. These are medals of the silver, gold and diamond jubilees of Queen Elizabeth II, three royal Victorian orders - a knight of the Grand Cross, a knight commander and a commander.
England awarded him the Order of the Garter - this is one of the oldest orders in the world, considered the highest award for British knights. The number of people to whom it can be awarded is strictly limited. In addition to the monarch and members of the royal family, there cannot be more than 24. It was established by King Edward III of England back in 1348.
In Norway, Prince Andrew was awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of St. Olaf, in New Zealand - a commemorative medal, in Canada - a badge of the Armed Forces, in the United United Arab Emirates- Order of the Federation.
There are also special, rare awards. Thus, the Canadian province of Saskatchewan awarded the prince a commemorative medal dedicated to the centenary of the founding of Saskatchewan.
Prince Andrew, whose biography is of interest to all fans of the royal family, in addition to various titles, occupies rare positions.
In 2000, HRH The Duke of York became President of the English Football Association. It is the oldest sports association in the world and has been in existence without interruption since 1863. Since then and to this day, she has been organizing football competitions in Foggy Albion and managing football affairs.
The position of President of the English Football Association is an honorary mission originally reserved for members of the royal family. True, such a tradition appeared only by the middle of the 20th century. The first president, in 1863, was Arthur Pember, an athlete, writer and journalist, who simultaneously played for the No Name Kilburn team. Until 1939, the presidents were active athletes, football referees.
Alexander Cambridge, Earl of Athlone, became the first member of the royal family to become president of the Football Association.
Prince Andrew stepped down as president in 2006 current president Charles's son is Prince William.
The claim was made by Epstein's former assistant and butler, who said he met the prince three times at Epstein's £4m Palm Beach home.
Juan Alessi, who worked for Epstein for 11 years, also told the Daily Mail that during his visits, the prince enjoyed the services of young masseuses every day. He stated that after the procedures, Andrew appeared "with a smile on his face." The butler is sure that Epstein paid for the massages.
Masseuses received $100 an hour for their services, which were provided in a closed part of the house. Only Epstein and select guests had access to this part, he added.
This is the same mansion where bars of soap in the shape of male and female genitalia lay in some guest rooms, and the same 58-year-old Epstein who persuades minors to prostitution - a crime for which he served 13 months in prison, starting in 2008. He was also accused of hiring "erotic masseuses" whom he harassed during daily routines.
According to Mr Alessi, Andrew and Epstein's close friend Ghislaine Maxwell - the 49-year-old daughter of the late media mogul Robert Maxwell - kept a bunch of sex toys in the house.
However, there is no evidence that the Prince had sex at Epstein's house, or knew what was allegedly going on behind closed doors.
Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the news yesterday - a local source only emphasized that there was no reason to attribute "improper" behavior to Andrew.
However, it is clear that these revelations will raise a new wave of questions about the validity of the Duke's tenure as British Special Representative for international trade and investments.
Note that Mr. Alessi, who worked for Epstein until 2002, was limited in his statements due to the current confidentiality agreement he signed when he left his job with the financier. To talk about what happened in the so-called "House of Sin" Epstein, he could only "in in general terms The Palm Beach mansion was "stuffed" with erotic photographs of young women, he said. Asked if Andrew had seen the photographs, the butler replied, "You have to be blind not to see them. Photos of girls without clothes were all over the house ... Most of them are from Europe.
Mr. Alessi also said naked girls frolicked in the pool during the prince's stay at the house. When asked if he was sure of this, the butler replied, "Yes. I can't prove it, but I remember what I saw with my own eyes." He also noted that the prince himself was not naked, and he had no evidence that the bathers were minors.
Mr Alessi, a retiree who owns a chain of properties for rent, admitted: "The first time I met Prince Andrew was in a private property on Palm Beach sometime in 2001. It was a huge house, and if Epstein or the prince had anything If they needed something, they would call me and I would bring them, say, a cup of tea or something else."
The former butler noticed that the prince's bodyguards were relaxed during visits to the mansion and stayed in one of the guest rooms.
"In those days, they (Epstein and the prince) flew a lot. They traveled a lot and were absent from the mansion."
Mr. Alessi, whose wife also worked for Epstein, said Andrew had "daily massages" during his visit to the Palm Beach mansion. Was he really satisfied after each procedure? "And you wouldn't?" Mr. Alessi laughed.
Did he leave the room with a smile on his face? "Yes, of course!" he replied.
Mr. Alessi admitted that although he was absolutely sure that the prince had massages, he could not give more details about this. The procedures were carried out on the second floor, which was isolated from the rest of the property.
"We didn't have the opportunity to go up there. We couldn't have witnessed what was happening there. We could imagine it. I think other employees will tell you about it."
Asked who paid for Prince Andrew's massages, Mr Alessi replied: "It's quite possible I did it (on Epstein's behalf). The girls who came to the mansion to get massages weren't paid the same day. They celebrated their working hours - two hours today, three hours tomorrow, for example - and at the end of the week I paid them."
Alessi also revealed that the prince was "a very well-mannered man."
"We had about 1,000 guests and he was one of the very few who left us a tip... About $200 I think... He also asked if my wife and I would like to take a photo with him as a keepsake. I also liked that he always made his bed."
Stephen Glover(Stephen Glover)
[…] His friendship with Jeffrey Epstein admittedly began years before the billionaire pedophile was sentenced to 18 months in prison for soliciting an underage girl into prostitution.
In this case, Mr. Epstein's inclinations were clear enough to any reasonable person - let alone who is fourth in line to the throne.
Prince Andrew did not understand these inclinations. He enjoyed spending time with the American and even took him to Sandringham and Windsor Castle. According to an affidavit made by a former Epstein employee, about a decade ago the prince had regular massages at the billionaire's Florida mansion, where the masseuses worked for £60 an hour.
In 2001, Epstein flew to London, where he introduced Virginia Roberts, a 17-year-old "erotic masseuse" whom he sexually exploited, to the prince. The girl spent only some time with Andrew. It was then that the ill-advised photo was taken, where the prince hugs her waist.
This is by no means evidence that he had an inappropriate relationship with Ms. Roberts or anyone else in Mr. Epstein's circle (by "inappropriate" I mean relationships with underage girls). But such a close association with a vicious man, whose appetite for young girls should have been obvious to the prince, implies an error that is hardly likely.
Epstein, according to Miss Roberts, seduced her when she was 15 years old. She says: "Basically, I was a prostitute for him and his friends, who shared an interest in young girls."
What attracted Prince Andrew in such an abnormal person? Perhaps, though I find it hard to believe, he was witty and charming. Perhaps Andrew enjoyed the company of "erotic masseuses" without thinking about it. He was almost certainly attracted to the American by the fact that he was a generous and hospitable billionaire. Last December, he stayed at Epstein's New York mansion for five days.
[…] In 2007 he sold his estate Sunninghill Park, near Ascot, to a gentleman named Timur Kulibayev for substantially more than £12 million. At the asking price, the house was not sold for several years.
Mr. Kulibaev is the billionaire son-in-law of the president of Kazakhstan, an oil-rich and thoroughly corrupt former Soviet Republic where Andrew had a good time. The prince had a close relationship with Goga Ashkenazi, a Kazakh businesswoman and former mistress of Kulibayev.
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Prince Andrew made frequent visits to Libya, both privately and officially in his capacity as UK Special Representative for International Trade and Investment, and may have had a favorable influence on British business development there. Despite claims of a close friendship with Saif al-Gaddafi, the dictator's son, royal sources say he only met him twice. […]
And further. Also known is Andrew's close relationship with David Rowland, a multimillionaire who is called a "shadow financier" in the House of Commons. Last year, after the revelation of shocking details of his personal and business life, he was unable to take the post of Treasurer of the Conservative Party. […]
The problem is that the Queen has a special fondness for her second son, and her maternal eye does not notice, the costs of the prince's behavior are so obvious to others ... Ten days ago he was nominated for the title of Knight of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO) for his service to the Queen.
[…] He is a spoiled, self-indulgent and apparently not very thoughtful person, blinded by great wealth. […]
On Sunday, The King's Speech won several Oscars. It shows, though perhaps somewhat exaggeratedly, the struggle that King George VI, Prince Andrew's grandfather, had with his stutter. Struggling with this shortcoming, the King was driven by a sense of duty to his country and its citizens. He denied himself luxury and lived very simply.
How different is his grandson! […] If Prince Andrew is not put on the right path, he could do serious damage to an institution that most Britons still hold dear.
The client masturbated and aroused the young "masseuse" with a vibrator
Shady billionaire Epstein was given a 'massage' by girls 2-3 times a day
The original of this material© NEWSru.co.il , Israel, 06/11/2009, Case of billionaire Epstein. The FBI hides the text of the deal with the lover of "girls"
Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein, 56, has been serving an 18-month sentence in the Palm Beach County Jail, Florida, since last year. He was convicted of using the services of underage prostitutes. Epstein should be released soon.
On Wednesday, June 10, Palm Beach District Court was considering a request by lawyers representing Epstein's former "girls" to release the text of a document describing the contents of a deal between Epstein's lawyers and federal prosecutors. The petition was denied at a preliminary hearing, but will be considered again "in full" in two weeks.
According to former district judge Bill Berger, who currently represents the interests of some of the "girls" of Epstein, the public has a right to know the contents of the "secret amicable agreement" between the billionaire and the FBI. The lawyers were familiarized with the contents of this document, but they were forbidden to publicly discuss its contents.
The scandal around this case has not subsided for several years.
Financier and philanthropist Jeffrey Epstein was one of America's most respected citizens. Among his friends were President Bill Clinton, media mogul Donald Trump, businessman Les Wexner, many Nobel Prize. For a while he taught physics at school, then he founded his own financial company and succeeded as a businessman. His firm initially bore the name of the owner "J. Epstein and Co", then was renamed "Financial Trust Co". It is said that Epstein's clients were exclusively billionaires, mostly Jews - including Les Wexner. In parallel with the business, Epstein was actively involved in supporting scientific projects.
Thunder struck in March 2005, when a woman went to the Palm Beach police with a complaint about Epstein. The woman said that a few years ago, her 14-year-old daughter got a "job" at the Epstein mansion: she was hired for $300 as a "position" as a masseuse. She performed this work naked, and her client masturbated in front of her and aroused the young "masseuse" with a vibrator.
An investigation was launched into the complaint. It was held in secret, as it was about a very rich and influential person. Agents found that Jeffrey Epstein repeatedly resorted to the services of underage prostitutes (there were at least five of them). 17 witnesses were found who testified under oath. The investigation found that Epstein developed a "safe system" for receiving such services: he hired young women who found him "girls" for massage, but the "owner" himself did not hire minors. Two housekeepers who testified in court said that when the "owner" came to the villa in Palm Beach, such "girls" gave him "massages" 2-3 times a day.
The case of a girl from Yugoslavia, Nadia Marchinkova, was highlighted in particular. One of the "girls" told investigators how Epstein boasted that he brought a "slave from Yugoslavia" to the United States and forced the witness to have lesbian sex with Nadia while watching them.
In 2007, top model Maximilia Codero testified against Epstein, alleging that Jeffrey raped her when she was 16 years old.
Epstein's lawyers said in court: their client did not know anything about the fact that the girls whose services he used were minors. This was confirmed during the interrogation of the accused using a lie detector. For a long time, Epstein pleaded not guilty to any of the charges. And he admitted his guilt only on June 30, 2008.
After that, some public figures and scientists who received funds from the Epstein Foundation returned the money to him.
Many in Florida believe that Epstein received too lenient a sentence: a year and a half in prison, with the right to daily visits. In the comments on this case, published in the local media, one could come across the words that the pedophile financier simply went on a "long vacation", but did not suffer the deserved punishment. But there are those who believe that Jeffrey Epstein did nothing illegal, and in his case there was enough public censure.
It should be noted that the exact information about the personal condition of Jeffrey Epstein is not published. His name is not mentioned in the list the richest people America, nor in the world list of Forbes magazine's billionaires. However, the media write about Epstein as a "billionaire".
And Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, was born at Buckingham Palace on February 19, 1960. He was baptized in the Palace Music Hall by the Archbishop of Canterbury and Dr. Geoffrey Fisher, and at the baptism received the name Andrew Albert Christian Edward. Andrew is the name of Prince Philip's father, Albert is the name of the Queen's father. Following tradition, Andrew began his education at home and continued at Heatherdown Preparatory School near Ascot, . In September 1973, he followed in the footsteps of his father and his brother Charles by enrolling at Spartan School Gordonstown in Scotland, graduating in July 1979 with top marks in English, history, political science and economics. Unlike his older brother Charles, Andrew enjoyed his time in Gordonstown.
After leaving school, Andrew joined the Royal Navy in November 1979. He began training as a helicopter pilot in May 1980 and served in the Falklands War against Argentina aboard the Invincible. In February 1992, he was promoted to Lieutenant Commander of HMS Cottesmore.
As a young man, he gained a reputation as a playboy prince, and after serving in the Falklands War became the subject of nasty press coverage by going on vacation with his current girlfriend, American actress Ku Stark, who had previously appeared in pornographic magazines. Thanks to his sister-in-law, Princess Diana, Andrew fell in love with her red-haired friend in Westminster Abbey. Upon marriage, Andrew received from the queen the traditional title of the second royal son - Duke of York, he also holds the titles of Earl of Inverness and Baron Killeleysky.
Their union produced two daughters. The eldest, Princess Beatrice of York, was born on August 8, 1988 at the Portland Hospital, at the baptism of Beatrice Mary Elizabeth Mountbatten-Windsor. Youngest daughter- Princess Eugenie, born March 23, 1990 in a Portland hospital and was baptized with the name Eugenia Victoria Helena Mountbatten-Windsor at St Mary Magdalene Church, Sandringham, by the Bishop of Norwich, and became the first member of the royal family to be baptized in public.
An extrovert by temperament, Sarah Ferguson was like a breath of fresh air when she joined the royal family. The couple made a number of successful trips abroad representing the interests of the Queen. However, cracks soon began to appear in the marriage, which immediately found itself in the spotlight of the media. The Duchess of York has often been subjected to harmful criticism from the press for her taste in clothes and overweight.
Andrew's naval career meant he was often away from home, and the adventurous Duchess of York began to spend a lot of time with American fans, Texan Steve White and John Bryan. Later, these relations became public knowledge. When incriminating photos of the Duchess and her "financial adviser" John Bryan appeared in the national newspapers, the Duchess was at Balmoral, where the traditional summer holiday is held with the rest of the royal family. She left with a scandal, which again provoked a strong reaction from the newspapers.
The couple divorced in May 1996. It was a civilized divorce, they shared custody of their two daughters and continue to spend joint family holidays with them. Duke Andrew remains close to both daughters.
In January 1999, Andrew took an appointment with the Navy's Diplomatic Section and finally left the Navy in July 2001. He has since taken on the role of UK Special Representative for International Trade and Investment. Andrew loves to play and is a patron of the Golf Foundation.
The Duke of York's public concerns include supporting the Queen as Head of State, supporting businesses in the community and finding ways to improve their ability to bring prosperity to the UK. In addition to these duties, His Royal Highness also promotes charitable organizations, provides patronage and support for initiatives that promote the social and entrepreneurial activities of young people.
The son of Elizabeth II conquered the tallest building in Europe. Prince Andrew, 52, rappelled from London's Shard (), currently the largest skyscraper in Europe, from the 87th to the 20th floor. The prince's team consisted of 40 people. The action was held for charitable purposes - the proceeds will go to educational projects for children around the world.
“I won’t even tell you if it was easy and simple or not. I will never do that again,” the prince declared immediately after the descent.
According to the Daily Mail, the prince prepared thoroughly for the descent. The training he spent all summer with the Marines in Arbroath allowed him to climb 67 floors in just 30 minutes.
“Thanks to the training, I was able to start the descent without much shaking. It was very important to take the first step,” said the Duke of York.
This action brought in charitable collections worth more than 350,000 euros. Despite the fact that the organizers were counting on an income of a million pounds (1.2 million euros), the prince was pleased with the result, Sky News notes. Part of the donations were made by relatives and friends of the 52-year-old prince. For example, 500 pounds (about 600 euros) was contributed by his daughter, Princess Eugenie, who said she was proud of her father's act.
"One very good man on the roof warned me - you will first slide and hit the windows, it may look awkward, but use your knees. That's exactly what I did. Indeed, the first sections I just slipped through. To be honest, it was scary,” he said after the descent.
The proceeds will be divided among two charitable organizations - educational fund The Outward Bound Trust, of which Prince Andrew is one of the leaders, and the relief fund Marines Royal Marines Charitable Trust Fund, which helped the participants of the action prepare for the risky descent.
The noble act of Prince Andrew came in handy. The fact is that a few days earlier, his nephew Prince Harry was at the center of a scandal, once again jeopardizing the reputation of the royal family.
Another august offspring was photographed naked during a party in Las Vegas. The young man, having met a group of pretty girls in a bar, went up with them to his VIP suite at the five-star Wynn Hotel, where the company played strip billiards, as a result of which the prince soon found himself without clothes.
Photos literally in a few minutes scattered around the world.
Prince Andrew did not comment on the story with his nephew in any way, but the British media, which were forbidden under the threat of a court from publishing pictures of Prince Harry, did not fail to note the variety of august "entertainment".
Prince Andrew was born on February 19, 1960 at Buckingham Palace. He became the third child and second son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. He was named after his paternal grandfather, Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark.
Like his older brothers and sisters, he was entrusted to a governess who took care of his upbringing and education. By the age of 19, he received a diploma in the history of economic and political science and went to the Royal Naval College. In 1979, Prince Andrew joined the Royal Navy to train as a military helicopter pilot. The prince was later accepted as a trainee on a military helicopter, signing a 12-year contract effective May 11, 1979.
Already on September 1, he received a promotion, and in 1980 he was awarded a green beret. Until 1982, the prince takes refresher courses and becomes a full-fledged pilot. He joins the 820 Naval Aviation Squadron, serving on board the aircraft carrier Invincible, in which he continues to serve.
On April 2, 1982, the so-called Falklands War began between Britain and Argentina over the disputed islands. The main role in this war was given to the Royal Navy and naval aviation, so the British Cabinet made every effort to return the prince from danger zone However, Queen Elizabeth insisted on her son's desire to remain in the service and participate in the war.
After the end of the war, the Invincible returned to Portsmouth where it was received by the Queen and Prince Philip along with the families of the other crew members. In his book about that war, Commander Nigel Ward said that the Argentine government was deliberately preparing a series of assassination attempts on the prince. Andrew himself was described by the commander as "an excellent pilot and a very promising officer."
In February 1984, the prince received the rank of lieutenant, after which the queen appointed him her personal assistant-adjutant. After that, the prince commanded several units in different regions planets.
As for the prince's personal life, on July 23, 1986, he married Sarah Ferguson, whom he had known since childhood. At the wedding and in the first years after it, they were very happy. They had two daughters. However, the prince's constant travels associated with his military career increasingly overshadowed this marriage, which eventually ended in divorce on May 30, 1996. After the divorce, the media have repeatedly noted very warm relationship former spouses.
“We managed to work together to bring happiness to our children,” Sarah Ferguson said in an interview.
In recent years, Prince Andrew has served as UK Special Trade Representative.
Since the duke has no sons, there are no heirs to the title (peerage titles, except in special cases, are inherited only through the direct male line). If Prince Andrew does not remarry and have a son, then after his death the title "Duke of York" will return to the crown and can be assigned again.
Ranks 4th in the order of succession to the British throne (after the birth of Prince Harry in 1984).
As a member of the royal family, has its own coat of arms based on state emblem Great Britain.
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