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CounterPunch+ Exclusives

Prince Andrew Is Not A Commoner, He Is A Prince

Photograph Source: Secretary of Defense – Public Domain

Since the recent, massive revelations of the Epstein Files, there has been a concerted effort to rapidly change Prince Andrew’s moniker to the common Andrew Mountbatton-Windsor. But this isn’t coming from the public. This is essentially a media driven project of window-dressing and PR for the royal family.

Andrew without the “prince” part is intended to make him one of us. A commoner. But should he be seen as such?

Prince Andrew was able to do the things he did and get away with it for so many years because he IS a member of the royal family. Because he IS a prince. He was courted by Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein because they understood this fact better than anyone else.

Erasing his title does the subtle work of keeping the order of power intact, uninterrogated and unsullied. It takes him out of the context of power and privilege. He is suddenly a man like every other man, not one who got where he is due to hereditary ritual and fetishized state nomenclature.

When we remove the “prince” part of this equation, we are making it easier for the royal family to keep up the ruse of monarchial eminence and purity. We condemn him and him alone for “abusing his privilege” while all but ignoring the abusive system of privilege that produced and protected him for so long.

Taking Prince Andrew’s title away is preserving an order of power which has raped, exploited, pillaged, ethnically cleansed and decimated entire continents. And making him common is an insult to everyone who is NOT a part of that order.

As a commoner, I think I speak for many of us when saying we don’t want him. Prince Andrew is all yours.

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