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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Prince Andrew’s efforts to put Epstein scandal behind him backfire

In this June 6, 2012 photo, Britain's Prince Andrew leaves King Edward VII hospital in London after visiting his father Prince Philip. Prince Andrew says in a BBC interview scheduled to be broadcast Saturday, Nov. 16, 2019, that he doesn’t remember a woman who has accused him of sexually exploiting her in encounters arranged by Jeffrey Epstein. Andrew has made similar denials for years but has come under new pressure following Epstein’s arrest and suicide last summer. (Sang Tan / AP)
By Danica Kirka Associated Press

LONDON – Prince Andrew’s effort to put the Jeffrey Epstein scandal behind him may have instead done him irreparable harm.

While aides are trying to put the best face on his widely criticized interview with the BBC, royal watchers are asking whether he can survive the public relations disaster and remain a working member of the royal family.

The question facing Queen Elizabeth II and her advisers is how to protect the historic institution of the monarchy from the taint of a 21st-century sex-and-trafficking scandal and the repeated missteps of a prince who has been a magnet for bad publicity as he struggles to find a national role for himself.