EXCLUSIVE: Why Prince Andrew ‘Will Never Have a Public Future’ As Fresh Epstein Scandal ‘Eats Him Up’

**Prince Andrew Will Never Return to Public Life, Says Royal Biographer**

*Published Oct. 1, 2025, 5:44 p.m. ET*

Prince Andrew will never return to public life, according to royal biographer Andrew Lownie. The disgraced duke remains consumed by scandal and frustrated by his loss of royal status, RadarOnline.com can reveal.

Lownie, 62, spent four years researching his recently released unauthorized biography, *Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York*. The book charts Andrew’s rise and fall, drawing on interviews, insider testimony, and hundreds of Freedom of Information (FOI) requests—all of which were rejected by government departments.

### A Life of Isolation

Lownie argues that secrecy surrounding the monarchy has only deepened suspicion of the Duke of York, who has remained out of public life since his ties to Jeffrey Epstein resurfaced in 2019.

The historian said, “I don’t think he has any public future – I would even say his private life is very limited. He plays golf, watches television, sees his grandchildren, and lives as if retired. The notion that he might return to public duties is simply unrealistic.”

The book highlights how attempts to rebuild Andrew’s reputation have faltered. Removed from his military roles and prevented from using the style of “His Royal Highness” in any official capacity, Andrew has struggled with the loss of his identity.

A source added, “What frustrates Andrew most is losing his royal status. Wearing the uniform and having that sense of importance defined him, and without it he feels diminished.”

### Public Opinion Turns Against Him

Polls suggest public opinion has hardened against Andrew. A new YouGov survey found that Andrew, 65, is the most unpopular royal, with 87% of respondents holding a negative view of him and just 5% viewing him positively.

Regarding the monarchy more broadly, the generational divide is stark—81% of over-65s support its continuation, compared with just 41% of those aged 18 to 24.

A palace aide commented, “The monarchy can’t expect public trust without openness.”

### Secrecy Fuels Suspicion

Lownie revealed he received dozens of letters from the Foreign Office and the Department for Business and Trade declining his FOI requests about Andrew’s work as a trade envoy in the 2000s. The royal household and royal archives are exempt from the legislation entirely.

According to Lownie, this lack of transparency has only fueled public doubts. “The more secrecy there is,” he argued, “the more suspicion grows around Andrew and the institution as a whole.”

### The Epstein Scandal’s Lasting Impact

The Epstein scandal remains central to Andrew’s decline. His widely criticized 2019 BBC Newsnight interview—in which he claimed he could not sweat and denied meeting Jeffrey Epstein’s trafficking victim Virginia Giuffre—is viewed as the point of no return.

Although Andrew settled Giuffre’s civil lawsuit without admitting liability in 2022, Lownie argues that the allegations and associations continue to overshadow him.

A source said, “He’s become a liability for the Royal Family. Every story about him dominates headlines, and there’s simply no desire within the institution to restore him. His circumstances are stuck, and unlikely to shift.”

Buckingham Palace has declined to comment on the book, noting that Andrew is no longer a working royal.
https://radaronline.com/p/prince-andrew-no-public-future-jeffrey-epstein-scandal/