Prince Andrew is now in a big controversy due to his connection to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. As the Duke of York gave an interview in an effort to clear his name, netizens believed Queen Elizabeth II used Meghan Markle as a scapegoat amid all the royal family's controversies.
The Duchess of Sussex has her fair share of controversies, but Prince Andrew's scandals can be considered as far more serious. In a tweet, famed blogger Perez Hilton claimed that the monarch is trying to distract people from Prince Andrew with issues surrounding the former actress.
"They've been the scapegoats to take the heat off Andrew and William. It's really sad," another Twitter user commented on Hilton's tweet. Earlier this year, news emerged that Prince William cheated on his wife, Kate Middleton, with their friend Rose Hanbury.
Hence, netizens also felt like the Queen used Meghan Markle to cover one of her grandson's infidelity rumors. A different user claimed that everything might be well-planned by Queen Elizabeth as she knew everything that was happening in the royal family.
Meanwhile, Prince Andrew announced his decision to "step back from public duties" after his explosive interview on BBC Newsnight with Emily Maitlis, per People. Sarah Ferguson's former husband knew that his association with Jeffrey Epstein became a major disruption to the work of the royal family and the organizations and charities that he supports.
Hence, he asked Her Majesty if he could step back from his public duties until further notice. Queen Elizabeth reportedly permitted him.
"I continue to unequivocally regret my ill-judged association with Jeffrey Epstein," he said in a statement. The financier's death after he took his own life while awating trial left a lot of unanswered questions, particularly for his victims. Prince Andrew sent his sympathy to everyone who was affected and wanted some closure from this issue.
Prince Andrew is hoping that these people will be able to rebuild their lives in time. He, too, assured that he is willing to help any "appropriate law enforcement agency" with their investigations if needed.
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip's second son has been widely criticized after giving his BBC interview. He is repeatedly accused of not showing any empathy for Jeffrey Epstein's victims and his decision to stay at the latter's home in New York in December 2010. He reportedly stayed at his house months after Epstein served 13 months out of his 18 months sentence for procuring a minor for prostitution.
