Even Royal Philharmonic rubs out Prince Andrew

Even Royal Philharmonic rubs out Prince Andrew

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norman lebrecht

November 23, 2019

The RPO, whose greatest asset is its royal connection, has decided to ‘part company’ with Prince Andrew, the duke involved in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.

The RPO expressed ‘gratitude to His Royal Highness for his support of the orchestra over the past 15 years’.

It inherited Prince Andrew after the death of its original patron, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.

It has also lost is last music director, Charles Dutoit, to sex charges.

The RPO is starting to look like an unlucky orchestra.

 

photo: PA

Comments

  • Rob says:

    Bring on the Bolsheviks!!!!

  • Enquiring Mind says:

    Did the Prince have any other problem than guilt by association?

    • SDR says:

      Have you seen the news? Apparently, he had so many relations with underage girls, he couldn’t even remember Virginia Roberts at all, who came forward with many details of his crimes against her.

      • Anonymous says:

        I was thinking the same thing when I saw the interview. What a convenient defense, to say he doesn’t remember anything about her.

        So, he did this with dozens of girls on hundreds of occasions and they all blur together? He doesn’t appear to have dementia or amnesia.

        He knows he can’t deny knowing Ms. Roberts because of the photo and the flight logs. The other reason he might not remember is that he was in such an altered state because of alcohol and/or drugs that he wasn’t conscious when he met up with her in three different countries.

        If he really wants to pretend to care about victims, as he’s been advised, he needs to understand that he adds insult to injury when he claims not to remember Ms. Roberts. The interview was a PR disaster, because he basically said, “You were nothing to me then, and you’re nothing to me now.” He never did acknowledge her as a human being, one whom he hurt deeply.

      • Allen says:

        “he had so many relations with underage girls”

        No evidence for that whatsoever. I think you’re getting confused with literally 1,000s of confirmed crimes in Rotherham and elsewhere – you know, the ones that people here are reluctant to talk about.

        • Adrienne says:

          “the ones that people here are reluctant to talk about.”

          Nine thumbs down seem to confirm that. The hypocrisy around here is nauseating.

          • Suzy says:

            People may have downvoted that comment because it seems like Allen is excusing Prince Andrew and changing the subject to the horrendous crimes that occurred in Rotherham. This is about abuse by a royal, who will probably never be held accountable.

          • Adrienne says:

            I don’t think he’s excusing anyone, just questioning the “many relations with underage girls” claim, which has not been verified as far as I’m aware, and the lack of a sense of proportion by people who are quick to voice their outrage – selectively.

            It took a long time for the 1,000s !! of Rotherham crimes to be acknowledged and, even now, many people don’t want to talk about them.

  • Novagerio says:

    The Duke of Nothingham.

  • Bill says:

    He can be replaced. There are plenty of other Royals knocking around who aren’t associated with pedophiles.

  • Mustafa Kandan says:

    I am usually cautious when it comes to such allegations, but in this instance these are fully justified and so are the consequences.

  • V. Lind says:

    I would hate to think its Royal connection was the RPO’s greatest asset.

  • Paul Pellay says:

    Unlucky? With Vasily Petrenko soon to take over?! I don’t think so!

  • mary says:

    “Patron”? In what sense of the word?

    Andrew has no income of his own, other than his tax payer subsidized Sovereign Grant, which the Queen yanked after kicking him off his royal duties, now his only “income” is whatever Mummy gives him from her personal funds.

    Patron? I mean he’s a 59 year old man still living off his mom’s weekly allowance.

    The Royal Philharmonic’s next royal patron ought to be Markle, the Duchess of Susssex, at least she’s independently wealthy from her prior Hollywood career.

  • David Watkin says:

    The RPO’s greatest asset is its players.

  • antibanders says:

    Absolutely right.

  • Olassus says:

    Isn’t that a decision for Her Majesty, not for arrogant executives with so much time on their hands they can rush across town to their patron’s already pressed office and demand an upgrade? Who do they think they are, KPMG? The warrant is a privilege not a sponsorship. The Queen should withdraw it. Then they can be the Philharmonic Orchestra of Cadogan Hall.

    • Pacer1 says:

      “Arrogant executives”? Hmmmm, the Queen summoned Andrew to the Royal Palace; he later announces he is withdrawing from royal duties. It seems the Queen’s actions made the decision for the RPO. After all, Andrew ‘inherited’ the patronage after the death of the Queen Mother. I’m sure the Queen won’t leave the RPO hanging for long.

      • Olassus says:

        RPO’s own description (Nov. 22):

        “Following HRH the Duke of York’s announcement that he will be stepping back from public life, management representatives of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) met with Prince Andrew’s office on Thursday afternoon. At a subsequent meeting of the RPO Board, it was decided that the Orchestra should part company with its Patron, with immediate effect.”

        • Pacer1 says:

          Ummm, if he’s “stepping back from public life” how can he continue to be the Orchestra’s patron?

          • Olassus says:

            The point is that it is for the Queen to decide how and when to proceed.

            No arts group or charity has any place actively shedding a royal patron.

          • anon says:

            I dare say the UK as a whole ought to actively shed the entire bloody royal masquerade.

            It’s the height of irony that tax payers sustain the House of Saxe-Coburg und Gotha (sorry, the House of Windsor) and in turn, the Saxe-Coburgs und Gothas (sorry, the Windsors) return some of that money back to the tax payers and call it “patronage”.

          • Pacer1 says:

            Excuse me, but I think he shed them first via the Queen’s all encompassing edict.

          • Pacer1 says:

            From the BBC: “The Duke’s remaining patronages have been mothballed according to Sarah Campbell, a BBC royal correspondent.”

            “The Palace (Queen?) understands that some of these organizations and charities may want to find themselves a new patron.”

            I think what the RPO needs now is support rather than armchair criticism.

    • sam says:

      “The warrant is a privilege…”

      Maybe the Queen can make Virginia Roberts a Royal Consort to Prince Andrew.

      In days of yore, the offending man had to marry the wrongéd maiden.

      Virginia Roberts, Duchess of York, Countess of Inverness, and Baroness of Killyleagh. Just compensation for 5 minutes of sweaty sex with I-can’t-sweat-Andrew.

  • What does being a “royal patron” involve?

    What does the organization expect of one if they have one?

  • Ravi Narasimhan says:

    Even the venure capitalists want nothing to do with him.
    https://medium.com/@richpwilson/another-reason-prince-andrew-is-a-disgrace-3222c1145226

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