Prince Andrew: Epstein and the Palace

by Nigel Cawthorne

Buckingham Palace's greatest fear came true when the FBI arrested Prince Andrew's former friend Jeffrey Epstein a convicted felon with secret-service connections on charges of under-age sex trafficking. Just before the marriage of Kate and Wills, a snapshot of Andrew with his arm around the naked midriff of Epstein s most implacable and articulate victim had surfaced. Despite sending stringent defamation warnings, the palace proved powerless to contain the threat to the monarchy. This book investigates the story of the key players, allegations and counter-allegations in this unique, high-stakes royal drama. It provides a gripping and uncommon insight into the secret privileges enjoyed by billionaires, global power brokers and royalty. Transcending the life of one man, the story characterises a whole institution and its preciptious loss of trust.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, True Crime, Crime, History

298 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 18, 2021

About the author

Nigel Cawthorne is an Anglo-American writer of fiction and non-fiction, and an editor. He has written more than 80 books on a wide range of subjects and has contributed to The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph Daily Mail and The New York Times. He has appeared on television and BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

Many of Nigel Cawthorne's books are compilations of popular history, without footnotes, references or bibliographies. His own web site refers to a description of his home as a "book-writing factory" and says, "More than half my books were commissioned by publishers and packagers for a flat fee or for a for a reduced royalty".

One of his most notable works was Taking Back My Name, an autobiography of Ike Turner, with whom he spent a number of weeks working with him on, taking up residence in Turner's house. The book caused much controversy, resulting in court cases for three years following its release.

Cawthorne currently lives in Bloomsbury, London with his girlfriend and son, Colin (born 1982).

Reviews

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Damn. This book doesn’t really hold back. It’s not well written (you can tell there was a rush to get it to print) - simple mistakes a good editor could have fixed (dickie Arbiter is is “Arbiteron” at one point) - but.......damn. The book just puts it all out there re: Andrew. It never says he “actually” did anything, it just portrays him as a spoiled grifter who liked parties and women and oh look so did Epstein and oh look here are ALL THESE PEOPLE who say they saw him..... it ends abruptly, but again, the rush is obvious - it includes a bit about Beatrice’s rushed wedding in July 2021.

Overall the book could use a good cleaning up, but if you’re like me and have spent the last few months screaming “why isn’t anyone talking about Andrew?!?!?” This book does ALL the talking.

[OvercommuniKate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Horrible content but very well written and paced. It feels gross to give this book 5 stars when all I want to do is burn down the Royal Lodge, with this book in it, but I'll have to settle with hoping the Queen has finally learned her lesson after the civil lawsuit settlement. I do think the author needs to add an updated epilogue as the book was published shortly before the settlement. It ends quite suddenly on an uncertain note.

Reading some of these reviews, I realize I came in with floor level expectations with the knowledge of who is Nigel Cawthorne. Most royal books are just summarized tabloid articles. The question is whether the tone is good and the organization is logical. I wasn't expecting a Pulitzer investigation. ¯\_ಠ_ಠ_/¯

[MR R]

An excellent exposé. However there are historical inaccuracies e.g. Queen Eliz did not become queen following the abdication crisis; her father became king. Also, the standard of editing/proofreading is execrable. A great read nevertheless and highly recommended.

[Tasha · Rating 1 out of 5]

The Sunday times got it right “excruciating”. This is essentially one very long tabloid read. Although I had no idea, really, who Andrew was to be fair. So okay now I know the queen has four children. I didn’t know that either.

[Annie Gilchrist · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn’t finish it. Felt like it was a collection of news articles that I’d already read rather than a story able to be easily followed out of interest.

[Delcene Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

With the release of Virginia Giuffies tell all biography and with Prince Andrew looking like he’s about to be stripped of his HRH status I thought that having a look at what he got up to in the past would be worth looking into.

This book isn’t particularly well written and the only salient outcome that I could glean from it is that Prince Andrew is a privileged, obnoxious buffoon.

An interesting little read in any case.

[Cindy Knoke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meticulously researched and reported and very disturbing. I hope Andrew is compelled to be interviewed by US law enforcement.

[Linda Edmonds Cerullo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prince Andrew is an obnoxious, pompous, arrogant fool! So says the author of this book written by well-known writer Nigel Cawthorne. He does a splendid job of laying out the facts and what we do know about Andrew's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein -- what has been covered in the press, Andrew's own words during a 2019 interview and the testimony of Virginia Roberts Giuffre, one of Epstein's victims and the woman who has made the allegations against Andrew and who has a photograph of the two of them together. It's clear that Andrew knows more than he is telling and, if he had any conscience at all, would agree to sit down with the FBI and help them to fill in the blanks and verify the testimony of the women who were abused by Epstein and others when they were still just teenagers. While he claims he has told them he is ready to do so, he deliberately continues to resist their pleas for more openness. This book lays out why that may be so and how Andrew, always the favorite child of the Queen, has been able to get away with more than his older siblings. He is the Queen's darling and she is quite protective of him. He is boorish, entitled and not very bright, but uses his life of privilege as an excuse to do what he wants and treat others in a less than respectful manner. It's time for this buffoon to talk to the FBI and help them with their investigation into Epstein and Maxwell's despicable career of abuse. Riveting read!

[Cathy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Painful. Horrible. Awful. These words describe the book on several levels — the subject, the subject matter and the writing. First, the book describes in graphic detail the friendship, and related activities, between Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein. It also details, in graphic and minute detail, the sexual encounters the prince had with Virginia Roberts and the abuse she and others suffered at the hands of Epstein and his pimp, Ghislaine Maxwell. It is hard, horrible reading and you will need several showers to get the fifth off you after it is done. There will also be no respect for anyone mentioned in the book who knows or knew of what was happening and did nothing to help or bring those to justice who were endangering the victims. However, you must take it all with a grain of salt because of the constant errors made by the author. Every page contains either an error of fact (easily researched and correctable) or one of punctuation, spelling or grammar. It calls into question the level of meticulous research needed for the whole of the book. Rubbish.

[Boadicea · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was hoping for some new information but I'm afraid I found this a terrible book. Firstly because it's full of errors both factual (David Linley is Andrew's cousin, not nephew, the Dance of the Decades was to celebrate Anne's 50th, Charles is two years older than her, 12 years older than Andrew etc.) and grammatical. Sentences run on until they don't make sense, and I am amazed that any author can get away with the poor writing here.
Furthermore, there is nothing new in it. It seems to be a rehash of interviews and tabloid articles already flogged to death. The book is about halfway through before it even discusses Andrew's troubling relationship with Epstein, but again it's all stuff we've already heard.
I got this book from Kindle Unlimited, and the best thing I can say about it, is it's worth what I paid. Still at least it's short.

[Christina Giscombe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Apart from the obligatory life story bio, this was an absorbing read, even if you already knew most of it.


Andrew comes off as a useless buffoon, with his chubby ex-wife, Fergie, indulging in bribery, profligate spending and taking a $40,000 "loan" from predator and crook, Jeffrey Epstein.

The book is a little on the short side and clearly rushed out.

[Annie Booker · Rating 4 out of 5]

interesting read.

[Chelsea Harrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting read into the spoilt life of the disgraced prince

[Adrienne Cullen-Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I gave it 4 stars for its content rather than the writing of the book. I found many spelling errors in the text which was not well written but the content was interesting nonetheless. Nobody reading this book could fail to miss the fact the Prince Andrew was either part of the paedophile ring run by Geoffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell or at the very least knew about it. How anyone could visit any of Epstein's properties whose walls were covered in nude photos of young girls and not suspect that something was going is impossible to believe. Andrew comes across as being a spoilt brat, not very intelligent, a spendthrift and a waste of money on the British purse. He lived a millionaire lifestyle on a limited income so the money must have come from somewhere. His insatiable appetite for sex with young girls has obviously been inherited from his ancestors. How could he destroy the lives of young girls many the same age as his daughters back then. By asking this "blackguard" to accompany her to Prince Philips memorial service, the Queen had lost all credibility in my book. She has never treated Prince Charles properly distancing herself from the the heir to the throne from the day he was born. Charles was her first son and was treated badly by both his parents. She will sit on the throne for as long as she can to prevent Charles becoming King.

[Janie A. Hutchison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hubris run amok!

Nigel Cawthorne pulled no punches where this errant Prince is concerned. As for its subject, it beggars the imagination that in the twenty-first century any human alive ... regardless his station, family, business or political connections ... could possibly become and remain friends with a convicted pedophile and not understand how much dirt and mud would attach itself to him. Yet, through unimaginable pomposity this is what this delusional man thinks. Staggering.

[Maureen Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eye-opener.

An insight into the way the Monarchy works to cover-up appalling behaviour by its members. I hope Prince Andrew is extradited to the USA and made to tell all he knows. If the Royal Family think it is all right to protect a man like this, even a Prince, then it's time the Royal Family's rule was ended.

[Mishon · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story itself is intriguing and disturbing but it’s been a long time since I’ve read something with so many grammatical errors a simple proofread would catch. The “bones” of the story seem well researched but then little mistake would pop up, for example, Prince Andrew’s cousin is referred to as his nephew.

[Ann Major · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed it!

I liked this book, even though it ended much too abruptly. Being an American myself, Prince Andrew disgusted me. His position totally rotted his character. He comes across as pretty worthless even if you forget the fact he was probably involved in trafficking young women.

[Mimi B · Rating 5 out of 5]

interesting read

Hard to read , and to think that people with money can get away with so much , notwithstanding that this person is part of our royal family . My respect has gone for this Prince who has wasted so much public money as well . No holes barred accounts of Jeffery Epstein’s disgusting behaviour too .

[Sean Flatley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A powerful must read on Prince Andrew

I read this book after reading Andrew Lownie Entitled book. This book fills in the missing bits and I couldn't put it down as I was hooked from the first page upwards.
Its a good read of a book and quite shocking in some parts of the book.
Overall a recommended book to read.

[Miss G Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Revealing

This book goes over information already known but reveals.additional information. It.serves.as.a.reminder of.the additional information that remains unanswered at the current time.

[Lynne McLawhorn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Trash

Very poor quality. Full of errors and I wasn't sure who the book was about at times. If I wanted a Trump book I would have bought one. Stopped reading it at 10 percent. Will be the first to go when I run out of space.

[Chloe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just finished Prince Andrew : The End of the British Monarchy and Epstein book from Nigel Cawthorne. Hardcover. I thought it would be worse, but owing to Cawthorne's ability to write VERY well, it went along intelligently and the facts, while nasty, were presented in a readable, reasonable honest manner; prurience was largely absent.

Know this: Epstein is not Humbert Humbert. He was a real satyr and sexual predator. He appeared to be at least a sociopath and a perverted, sexual sadist as well. I appreciate his death however it happened.

Ghislaine Maxwell indicates --from the book - that she started her psycho-sexual proclivities /activities and/or the grooming very early. The Maxwell lot was a very odd group. But overall, Prince Andrew was just pitiful and sickening. Dull-witted, a very bad liar and not good for much of anything. Do I think he was paedophile? No. I think he was a bored, rich, dimwit who discovered something completely new and wanted to be part of something sticky and icky and BAD. And if it had been pulling the wings off flies, I suspect he would have been brilliant. He clearly craved to have some place in the history of the House of Windsor.

Now that his partners in perversion are gone, I can't think what good he is to the Crown. I am sorry for his mother and his daughters. The Ducal marital pair however, were made for each other.

I found the book very well written and fascinating, as is the nuts and bolts reportage of the story itself and I did not find it at all disgusting. The subjects of the book had that down to a science. I would like to see Ghislaine locked away. The Prince may not do so.well at the hands of the heir. I suspect Charles has waited for so long to sit on the throne, he has the playbook written. So for me, the question Is this? Is Andrew good for anything. You decide. Comments welcome.

[Paul A Sampson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read the last chapter first as the author appears biased against Andrew, couples together suggestions and opinions without any rebuttal. Last Chapter gives the contra view so overall cannot recommend to buy or read as most info is readily available

[Rosemary Hazard · Rating 3 out of 5]

pride and privilege

A devastating read; Prince Andrew will have to perform a media miracle to overcome this scandal. A disaster of a person.

[Michelle Keyatta · Rating 3 out of 5]

The info about Andrew was interesting, but at times the book felt like it was repeating itself with regards to the details about Epstein and sex crimes.

[Lin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Same old stuff. The writing, editing and proofreading is shocking. That alone made me give it two stars.

[Clarissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hard to read so many big pages and what a story. People are so bad and doing such bad things. I am shocked and not if that makes sense. A read to find out how it happened and why.

[Linda Galway · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. Repetitious at times

[Rexamian Siamese]

Epstein is the Rasputin equivalent, that spells the end of the Royal Family.