The Tara Palmeri Show — Episode Summary

Episode Title: How the Epstein Scandal Could Threaten King Charles
Host: Tara Palmeri
Guest: Andrew Lowney (Unofficial Prince Andrew biographer, author of "The Rise and Fall of the House of York")
Date: March 13, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode of The Tara Palmeri Show, Tara interviews renowned royal biographer Andrew Lowney to dissect the latest developments in the ongoing Prince Andrew scandal and its increasingly troubling implications for King Charles and the British monarchy as a whole. Palmeri and Lowney discuss the roots of Prince Andrew’s conduct, systematic coverups by the royal family and British institutions, the mounting threat to King Charles’s reign, and the persistent lack of accountability on both sides of the Atlantic regarding Jeffrey Epstein's network. Tara and Andrew speculate on the possibility of abdication, the role of intelligence services in hiding evidence, and the future of the monarchy itself.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

The Roots of Andrew's Behavior and the Culture of Protection

• Early Enablement and Shielding:

  • Andrew’s pattern of entitlement stretches back to childhood, fostered by his privileged upbringing and lack of discipline.

    “He operated without any parameters… His ego was stroked… The problems start when he gets married to Sarah Ferguson in 1986. She brings out all the worst characteristics of him.”
    — Andrew Lowney [03:17]

  • The Queen consistently protected Andrew, even punishing those who reported his behavior.

    “The protection of the Queen… was always the big thing that he had. People often lost their jobs as a result of this.”
    — Andrew Lowney [04:54]

• Systemic Cover-Up:

  • Royal aides, police, civil servants, and politicians have all played roles in covering up Andrew's conduct, particularly in relation to Epstein.

    “There were police protection officers there… All of them were involved in covering up Andrew’s malfeasance.”
    — Andrew Lowney [05:36]

  • Conflicts of interest and explicit threats discouraged whistleblowing within royal institutions.
  • Legal threats against the press:

    “Legal threats against news organizations for trying to report things accurately… The Queen knew, and I'm afraid King Charles also knew.”
    — Andrew Lowney [06:54]

The King's Knowledge and the Risk to the Monarchy

• What Did King Charles Know?

  • It is implausible Charles was unaware; repeated scandals and Andrew’s behavior were public knowledge.

    “I think Charles knew everything. I mean, he couldn’t have not known. It was in the newspapers for 15 years…”
    — Andrew Lowney [07:48]

  • Charles’s present stance (“the law must take its course”) may unravel if investigations uncover he protected Andrew.

• Potential Parliamentary Implications

  • Andrew may be compelled to testify before Parliament but is unlikely to testify in the US.
  • The King's unique legal status could change under mounting pressure:

    “The convention is the King can't really be called in for questioning… But that’s only a convention, so that could change.”
    — Andrew Lowney [09:20]

• Family Fractures and "Hot Potato" Scenarios

  • The royal family is turning on itself, with Charles, Andrew, Fergie, and their children isolated or blamed in shifts.

    “I think this is pretty much a family at war.”
    — Andrew Lowney [09:51]

Threats of Abdication and Institutional Reform

• Monarchy Under Threat

  • If it’s proven Charles protected Andrew, calls for abdication could intensify.

    “If he’s complicit in perverting the course of justice, then… there will be a cry for him to go and they may use the excuse of his health…”
    — Andrew Lowney [12:34]

  • William is incentivized to defer succession until the scandal is resolved.

• Possibility of Modernization

  • The scandal presents an opportunity for transparency and reform (finances, public records, parliamentary scrutiny).

International and Intelligence Dimensions

• Stalled US-UK Justice Cooperation

  • Andrew has avoided testimony in the US, despite subpoenas, using settlements and diplomatic pressure.
  • Growing tension over sharing evidence:

    “The FBI… passed a file on his activities to the Metropolitan Police four years ago and nothing was done… Now the British authorities are asking for help from the Americans more and the Americans are refusing to give it…”
    — Andrew Lowney [14:07]

  • Ongoing stonewalling of Epstein file releases, with speculation of “handshakes” between US and UK intelligence to suppress the most damaging intelligence-related files.

• Implications for National Security

  • Concerns about Andrew’s involvement with Russian criminal gangs and Chinese spies, raising stakes beyond personal scandal.

Cultural and Public Transparency Barriers

• Archive Destruction and Narrative Control

  • Lowney shares disturbing instances of US-UK cooperation in destroying incriminating files:

    “FBI files on Lord Mountbatten… destroyed in 2019 after I asked for them… All about controlling the narrative. That’s what Trump and his government are trying to do. It’s what the royal family try and do in this country.”
    — Andrew Lowney [20:09]

• Delays and Limitations in British Transparency

  • MI5/MI6 rarely, if ever, release intelligence files to the public.
  • Public accountability remains theoretical, as even open inquiries often yield little transparency.

Future Scenarios and Next Steps

• Legal Uncertainty and Potential Charges

  • Andrew’s arrest was more of a preemptive measure to prevent escape rather than a charge. Options now range from sexual trafficking to treason, or no charges at all.

    “It could be that he’s charged with sexual trafficking… also be charged with treason… lots of different ways it can go.”
    — Andrew Lowney [22:26]

• The Waiting Game and Potential for Fleeing

  • Lowney notes parallels between Mandelson and Andrew’s cases; both are politically damaging and intertwined.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the monarchy’s culture of secrecy and denial:

  “It is all about controlling the narrative. That’s what the royal family tries to do in this country.”
  — Andrew Lowney [20:09]

• On the British public’s right to know:

  “Parliamentary scrutiny of the royals… They become a very easy, soft target for intelligence agencies who can penetrate them, knowing there’s absolutely no oversight.”
  — Andrew Lowney [12:27]

• On the magnitude of the potential crisis:

  “If it’s found that Andrew's been protected by Charles and nothing happens… The monarchy will fall if they don't do something.”
  — Andrew Lowney [11:28]

• On the family dynamics:

  “They’re all in the business of throwing each other under the bus… This is pretty much a family at war.”
  — Andrew Lowney [09:51]

• On the illusion of modern democracy:

  “The great modern democracies are falling before our very eyes because of sex crimes.”
  — Tara Palmeri [20:31]

Key Timestamps

• [03:17] Andrew Lowney traces Andrew’s entitlement and early enablement.
• [05:36] Broad discussion of royal system complicity in cover-ups.
• [06:54] Confirmation from Lowney of Queen Elizabeth and King Charles' knowledge.
• [07:48] Palmeri pushes for specifics on what Charles knew.
• [09:20] Examination of whether the King could be called for testimony.
• [09:51] Family infighting and shifting blame.
• [12:34] Debate over abdication and who should “clear out” the scandal.
• [14:07] Frustration with US-UK legal obstacles and the refusal to share intelligence.
• [18:17] The quest for full Epstein file disclosure and UK intelligence involvement.
• [20:09] Revelations about the destruction of incriminating archives.
• [22:26] Legal ambiguity around Andrew's arrest and future prospects.
• [25:17] Political fallout and the parallel between Charles and Starmer.

Takeaways for New Listeners

• The Prince Andrew/Epstein scandal is not merely a matter of individual misconduct—it's a systemic crisis implicating decades of royal privilege, institutional cover-ups, and potential criminality at the highest levels.
• King Charles faces unprecedented peril should evidence confirm his protection of Andrew; abdication is no longer unthinkable.
• Intelligence agencies are believed to play a key role in preventing the release and destruction of files, exacerbating the lack of accountability.
• The monarchy’s future, and British constitutional norms, may hinge on the willingness of institutions to modernize and accept real transparency.

For more in-depth royal intrigue and trenchant political commentary, subscribe to The Tara Palmeri Show and check out Andrew Lowney’s books (link in episode description).