During the eighteen months or so that Charles has reigned, there is a great deal to commend him for. Two confidently delivered King’s speeches at Christmas; a genuine interest at dealing with his subjects that far exceeds the often rote ‘Have you come far?’ formalism of his mother. There has even been a compassionate hand extended to his troublesome younger son – although this seems an uncertain and unhappy state of affairs, given Prince Harry’s volatility and near-obsession with court cases.
Yet there is one area in which King Charles might be commended on a personal level but deserves criticism in his role as monarch: his continued loyalty to his disgraced younger brother Prince Andrew. The revelations in the Epstein files may have been embarrassing rather than catastrophic for the Duke of York, but they are a reminder that the ‘playboy prince’ was keeping louche company that a member of the monarchy should have known far better than to consort with.
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