Andrew Marr calls some Royal Family members ‘free-riders’ and predicts clear-out
Andrew Marr says some royals have been ‘behaving like free-riders’ in his first interview since leaving the BBC.
The veteran broadcaster warned the country will undergo an ‘ethical earthquake’ when the Queen dies and the monarchy will have to ‘earn its place’.
He said he agreed with other royal-watchers that the Prince of Wales and Duke of Cambridge will ‘orchestrate a clear-out’.
Prince Charles in particular is thought to favour the idea of a ‘slimmed down’ monarchy.
Speaking out for the first time since leaving the broadcaster, the 62-year-old told the Daily Mail: ‘There is a sense that the whole issue of the future has not been discussed for a very long time, because the Queen is so admired and so revered.
‘When that terrible day comes that the Queen is no longer with us, the country will go into a state of shock.
‘It will be like an ethical earthquake and I do not think it is fully understood or appreciated how this is going to be an absolutely massive moment in all our lives.
‘It will shake the whole country in a way that will be hard to explain until we actually live through it.
‘I know the Prince of Wales has plans for reforming the monarchy; it appears Charles and William will orchestrate a clear-out.
‘It won’t be the same: the modern monarchy under Charles has to earn its place every day, every week and every month in people’s affections.
‘I’m sorry to say some members of the royal family have been behaving like free riders.
‘They assume the monarchy – the institution itself – can never be questioned. But the reason it is not being questioned is because of the Queen herself.’
With the Queen continuing her recovery from a period of bad health, the Royal Family is trying to manage the fallout of Prince Andrew’s ongoing legal troubles.
The Queen’s son is being sued in the US by Virginia Giuffree, who alleges he sexually assaulted her when she was 17 and the victim of trafficking.
The Duke of York strenuously denies all allegations made against him.
Earlier this month, Prince Andrew was stripped of his honorary military titles and Buckingham Palace made clear he would no longer use the ‘His Royal Highness’ styling.
They told the paper: ‘He has long ago concluded that it is probably an unsolvable problem.’
A source close to William told The Times in October 2021: ‘There is no way in the world he’s ever coming back, the family will never let it happen.’
He refused to say whether or not he supported his uncle when asked by a TV journalist earlier this week.
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