Will Andrew bring down the monarchy?

Today in Focus

The Guardian

News, Daily News

4.6 • 5.9K Ratings

🗓️ 26 February 2026

⏱️ 25 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

As MPs vote to release the documents relating to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s appointment as trade envoy, Helen Pidd speaks to Andrew Lownie, author of Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, about the former prince’s antics in the role and whether this scandal will be the monarchy’s last. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus

Transcript

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0:00.0	This is The Guardian.
0:07.1	Today, are we witnessing the beginning of the end of the monarchy.
0:16.9	It's a week now since the man formerly known as Prince Andrew was arrested at Sandringham on the morning of his 66th birthday.
0:23.6	The former Prince Andrew has tonight been released under investigation from a police station in Norfolk where he has spent the day in custody following his arrest this morning.
0:33.6	While police continued to investigate whether he committed misconduct in a public office,
0:38.4	MPs voted on Tuesday to release files relating to his appointment as a UK trade envoy at the start of the millennium.
0:45.0	They did not pull their punches.
0:47.5	A man on a constant self-aggrandizing and self-enriching hustle.
0:52.5	A rude, arrogant and entitled man
0:55.5	who could not distinguish between the public interest
0:58.4	which he said he served and his own private interest.
1:02.3	Meanwhile, the royal family are trying to keep busy.
1:05.5	The king went to London Fashion Week.
1:07.6	Good afternoon, Your Majesty.
1:09.1	Do you have any reaction to the rest of your brother, sir? Your Majesty, how are you feeling after your brother's arrest, Your Majesty. Do you have any reaction to the rest of your brother, sir?
1:11.4	Your Majesty, how are you feeling after your brother's arrest?
1:15.5	And the future king went to the BAFTAs.
1:18.3	On the red carpet, conversation turned to Hamnets, the tearjerker about Shakespeare's only son.
1:24.0	William said he couldn't face it.
1:25.4	I need to be in quite a state.
1:29.1	You'll be in a calm state of an annulment.
1:32.6	You need to be in quite a calm state to watch it, he said.
	...

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