What surprised me, and I'd be happy to be enlightened by people who know more than I - is that all members of the royal family used to have Special Branch teams who 'vetted' the people they associate with in order to avoid just such a scandal as this.
Royals are very much detatched from the normal world and have learned very false social skills, like actors learning a part, rather than learning, as we lesser mortals do, by associating with people and observing how they work.
It is easy in such circumstance to take people at face value and get into trouble, which is exactly why Special Branch (used to) see this as part of the Protection Protocol.
Doesn't this happen now?
Did Special Branch warn him and he ignored them?
He's 60 years old and moves in circles where there are many Epsteins. Cocaine, drink and procuring is rife.
They don't need to observe any social rules (being polite, thoughtful, moral) because money makes them immune from such trivia.
It's part of the normal lifestyle of the "rich and famous" and Prince Andrew has lived like this most of his adult life.
I feel deeply sorry for his mother, she is too old to take this lightly. He's disgraced her and his daughters.
He is, unfortunately, 'a dirty old man'.
And yes, I AM being judgemental.
Here's an interesting Guardian article.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/oct/19/billionaires-wealth-richest-income-inequality
