Prince Andrew is once again in the headlines after Ghislaine Maxwell's arrest. But aside from his connection to the criminal sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the Duke of York is put on a hot seat again after a photo of Maxwell and Kevin Spacey sitting on Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip's thrones emerged.
The Telegraph revealed the said snap two days after Maxwell was arrested for her role in Epstein's case. It was reportedly taken in 2002, and Robert Maxwell's daughter and the Hollywood actor, who was also accused of sexual assault, could be seen laughing while sitting on the thrones at Buckingham Palace.
At the time, the two were said to be on a tour of the place, which was believed to be arranged by Prince Andrew. However, it remained to be seen who took the snap in the Throne Room - if it were Sarah Ferguson's former husband or somebody else.
In an episode of The Royal Report, People senior editor Michelle Tauber revealed it was rare sight to see somebody else sitting on the thrones. Those were not ordinary chairs but thrones that "would be roped off with the proverbial red velvet rope."
It was something that not everyone could sit on. Tauber added that the thrones were considered historical artifacts, so it couldn't be used in any way inappropriate - unless it's Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip.
Buckingham Palace has yet to reveal an official statement to address the issue. But, Tauber believed that no one was happy to see Maxwell and Spacey's snap sitting on the throne, including the Queen herself.
According to In Style, the palace explained the importance of the thrones to the monarchy when it shared a photo of it back in June. At the time, it revealed that it was usually used for important ceremonies, such as coronations, since the 14th century.
The snap came to light as the federal prosecutors continue to investigate Prince Andrew's connection to Epstein and the latter's accomplice, Maxwell. There were claims that the 60-year-old royal wasn't being cooperative, although his camp had repeatedly denied it.
In a statement, Blackfords LLP, Prince Andrew's legal counsel, revealed their client had offered his help as a witness to the United States Department of Justice on at least three occasions this year. However, they found it unfortunate that the DOJ's reaction to the first two offers was to breach their own "confidentiality rules," claiming the duke "has offered zero cooperation."
