The Truth About Prince Andrew's Crisis Talks

We know everyone is very focused on the Prince Harry and Meghan Markle vs. Prince William and Kate Middleton drama right now, but there's actually a very good chance that the real villain of the family (if we were to cast one) is Prince Andrew. The queen's second son has apparently just begun "crisis talks" with the family to figure out how to deal with a particularly damaging issue — allegations relating to Andrew's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and alleged participation in his sex-trafficking ring, per The Guardian.

So far, Prince Andrew has denied any allegations that he ever had inappropriate sexual relations with a minor. And regarding Virginia Guiffre's civil lawsuit, which claims the prince sexually assaulted her when she was 17 years old, Andrew's lawyer has questioned whether her suit is legal, according to Reuters. This is a baseless, nonviable, potentially unlawful lawsuit," Andrew Brettler, Prince Andrew's newly appointed U.S. lawyer said on September 13, per the outlet. But even if the allegations are not true, the prince, who is the father of Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, still has to figure out how to address them publicly.

So here's what we know about those crisis talks.

According to The Daily Mail, Prince Andrew has been in "crisis talks" with both the royal family and a slew of advisors following Virginia Guiffre's public civil suit. The Mail reports that insiders are worried about a "lack of communication and cohesion" between Andrew's legal team in the United Kingdom and his lawyers in the United States. So far, it looks like the prince has been sticking to the tried-and-true royal strategy of saying nothing at all, and is doing his best to stay out of sight. As one source said, "It could be very counter-productive to change horses at this stage."

But royal insiders also say that the so-called "wall of silence" may be backfiring and that by saying nothing at all, Andrew looks even more guilty. As another told The Daily Mail, "The decision not to put out any kind of statement, even just to reiterate his denial of the allegations, has seen his reputation shredded in the court of public opinion." The various sources say Andrew is now deciding whether to stick with his current U.K. lawyer, whether to put out some kind of statement, and whether to stay in hiding. The second source added, "I think it's highly likely we could see some movement on the [D]uke's strategy at least in the next few days." Whatever does happen, it's possible we'll see the final results of those crisis talks in the near future.

If you or someone you know has been the victim of sexual assault, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or visit RAINN.org for additional resources.