Younger brother of the United Kingdom’s monarch, Prince Andrew reportedly plans to follow in the footsteps of his younger nephew, Prince Harry, by writing a tell-all memoir that aims to “set the record straight” on his association with the late convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, according to sources cited by the Mail on Sunday.
Andrew has been seeking help from American authors to pen his autobiography, which some have dubbed “Spare 2.0” in reference to Harry’s recent bombshell book.
The prince has been out of the public eye since his links to Epstein were exposed, and he has paid millions of dollars in an out-of-court settlement to Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who accused him of sexual assault. Andrew has denied the allegations, and any memoir he writes is likely to include his version of events.
Despite warnings from those close to him, the prince is said to be motivated by a desire to tell his side of the story and to provide insights into the inner workings of the royal family.
Prince Andrew is also reportedly in need of money to support himself, as he did not receive an inheritance from his mother, Queen Elizabeth, and may need to leave his Royal Lodge home if he cannot afford repairs.
It remains to be seen who will write Andrew’s memoir, but the Mail on Sunday suggests that biographer Daphne Barak may be involved and two top publishers may have indicated interest in the project.
While Prince Harry’s book caused controversy and rifts within the royal family, Prince Andrew’s memoir is likely to attract even greater scrutiny, given the seriousness of the allegations against him.
In the aftermath of his association with Jeffrey Epstein, Prince Andrew has faced allegations of sexual assault from Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who claims that she was trafficked by Epstein and forced to have sex with the prince on multiple occasions while she was underage.
In 2020, Andrew reportedly reached a settlement with Giuffre, paying her millions of dollars in an out-of-court agreement. While Andrew has denied the allegations, the payout clearly indicates the seriousness of the claims against him and the potential damage they could do to his reputation. The payout may also be mentioned in any memoir that Andrew writes, as he seeks to provide his own account of events and clear his name.
