Prince Andrew’s status is ‘broken past restore’ following a choice by a US decide to permit a civil case to be introduced in opposition to him by Virginia Giuffre, specialists warned.
Specialists in status administration advised MailOnline that not solely has Andrew been tarnished by the allegations however so has the remainder of the Royal Household with authorized proceedings in opposition to him set to get underway later this yr.
Simon Wadsworth, managing companion at Igniyte, an organization which specialises in status administration, mentioned: ‘I believe it is a lengthy slog from right here whatever the outcomes of any proceedings going ahead and any gestures to redeem the state of affairs might solely worsen the state of affairs.
‘He (Andrew) could also be finest to remain out of the general public eye for the foreseeable future.’
He additional warned: ‘This has broken the remainder of the Royal Household by affiliation. It is troublesome for them to manage the narrative, so exhausting for them to affect public opinion.
‘The choice of retaining him in a low profile appears to be more and more troublesome when this goes to a listening to.’
Specialists in status administration advised MailOnline that not solely has Prince Andrew (pictured in April 2021) been tarnished by the allegations however so has the remainder of the Royal Household with authorized proceedings in opposition to him set to get underway later this yr
The Duke of York photographed together with his arm across the waist of then 17-year-old Virginia Roberts. Ghislaine Maxwell will be seen within the background
Mr Wadsworth described the influence of the case on Andrew’s status as ‘devastating’, claiming that it has not been helped by his angle in the direction of Ms Giuffre.
He added: ‘The impression he has given is one in all not being empathetic and being “above the legislation”.
‘All statements and interviews have been round denial and rebuttal which might be the correct authorized route however not essentially in a PR sense – if he’s harmless of all prices as he and his workforce say he’s why cannot he a minimum of look like totally co-operative? There’s a sufferer on this, and they need to be the first focus.’
Repute specialist Amber Melville-Brown, a companion at worldwide legislation agency Withers, claimed that there seemed to be little hope of salvaging Andrew’s status ‘within the court docket of public opinion’, regardless of the final result of the civil motion.
She mentioned: ‘He might by no means get well reputationally from accidents sustained from his fall from grace.
‘Whereas Prince Andrew has not been tried nor his proof but examined in any court docket, within the court docket of public opinion, his reputational ship was already below hearth by his affiliation with Epstein, torpedoed on Maxwell’s conviction, and all however sunk by this newest loss.’
She added: ‘Preventing this authorized motion would require titanic efforts by Prince Andrew’s authorized workforce, however regardless of the final end in court docket, it might not be sufficient within the court docket of public opinion to boost his status from the depths to which it has already sunk.’
Alex McCready, Head of Repute & Privateness at Vardags, a number one worldwide legislation agency, mentioned: ‘It is extremely troublesome to see a state of affairs the place his status will be repaired or him ever having a public position once more.
Specialists additionally questioned the techniques employed by Andrew’s authorized workforce, as they tried to make use of a 2009 settlement between Ms Giuffre (pictured in August 2019) and Jeffrey Epstein to attempt to quash the case
‘It is all about harm mitigation now, notably in gentle of the character of the allegations that he’s dealing with and his standing as a member of our Royal Household.
‘No matter occurs, Prince Andrew’s status has suffered horrible harm from the allegations on this lawsuit and from his former friendship with Epstein and Maxwell – two convicted intercourse offenders.’
Specialists additionally questioned the techniques employed by Andrew’s authorized workforce, as they tried to make use of a 2009 settlement between Ms Giuffre and Jeffrey Epstein to attempt to quash the case.
Repute specialist Amber Melville-Brown (above) claimed there seemed to be little hope of salvaging Andrew’s status ‘within the court docket of public opinion’
Ms McCready mentioned: ‘The transfer to have the case thrown out was all the time going to be extremely dangerous and it now appears like it could have backfired. It isn’t a reputationally interesting argument to get the case thrown by counting on a 12-year-old settlement settlement between Giuffre and Epstein – however clearly his attorneys thought it had authorized advantage.’
She added: ‘I personally assume that many are stunned that he is taken any steps to turn out to be concerned on this US litigation (even when this was merely to ask the court docket to throw the case out), given he could not be compelled to take the stand as it is a civil case.’
Ms Melville-Brown described the try to have the case thrown out as a ‘gamble’ that has backfired.
She mentioned: ‘Prince Andrew has seemingly gambled all through Ms. Giuffre’s criticism and subsequent litigation. Doubling-down with this disastrous dismissal software and betting on Epstein’s settlement settlement additional associates him together with his disgraced pal, costing him a reasonably penny when it comes to his status.
‘Going through the wheel of fortune of a trial he may nonetheless emerge the victor however win or lose I might wager the chances are stacked in opposition to him on rescuing a status so tarnished.’
Like different specialists, she additionally voiced issues over the broader harm to the Royal household however mentioned that she was assured that they’d finally overcome this.
Simon Wadsworth (pictured above), managing companion at Igniyte, an organization which specialises in status administration, mentioned: ‘I believe it is a lengthy slog from right here whatever the outcomes of any proceedings going ahead’
She added: ‘Prince Andrew’s status has possible been broken past restore. The accusations levelled at him personally additionally tarnish the monarchy by affiliation – however not irretrievably as in his case.
‘The monarchy is not only a household, it’s an establishment. Because the Queen celebrates a powerful 75 years on the throne, the monarchy has survived for a powerful thousand years.
‘The model is simply too sturdy to fail on account of accusations levelled at particular person members, and the ship will plough on regardless of there being one man overboard.’
Mr Wadsworth mentioned that his skilled recommendation to Andrew over the subsequent few months can be to not make any public statements concerning the case and totally co-operate with the authorities.
He added: ‘The disastrous Newsnight interview confirmed that he must be evaded any public statements nonetheless potential and definitely in a trial state of affairs as he’ll more than likely additional harm his picture if pushed on the issues he’s accused of.
‘However a minimum of open and co-operative would a minimum of elicit some sympathy I believe with the broader public.’