Fake Royal? Prince Andrew Gets Criticized For 'Trashy' PR Stunt
No royal news has overshadowed Prince Andrew's alleged "trashy" attempt to clean his name amid the coronavirus pandemic.
On Good Friday, Sarah Ferguson's assistant Antonia Marshall shared a photoset showing Prince Andrew and his ex-wife working together to pack cupcakes for the Thames Hospice located in Windsor, England.
"Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew packing all the care packages for Thames Hospice in Windsor today," Marshall wrote on the caption while tagging the Duke and Duchess of York, as well as the hospice.
"The York Family are a wonderful and steadfast unit, and through this crisis, are continuously helping others. So proud of them all."
View this post on Instagram@sarahferguson15 and @hrhthedukeofyork packing all the care packages for @thameshospice in Windsor today. The York Family are a wonderful and steadfast unit and through this crisis, are continuously helping others. So proud of them all... @princesseugenie #beatrice @florislondon @kikas_cupcakes #coronavirus #teamwork #yorkfamily #windsor #donations @nhsengland @nhsenglandldn A post shared by Antonia Marshall (@antoniamarshall) on Apr 9, 2020 at 2:12pm PDT
The new images marked Prince Andrew's first public appearance ever since he was spotted attending a mass in Sandringham, Norfolk with Queen Elizabeth II in January 2020.
Prince Andrew Got Slammed!
While such philanthropic act is needed, most especially now that the health crisis is widespread, a lot of people criticized the Duke of York for the "trashy" PR move in an attempt to regain the public's trust.
Speaking with The Daily Mail, investigative journalist Tom Bower said, "He should do good works but not seek to win kudos by posting trashy photos. If only they would both accept that their only public duty is to remain invisible from the public."
After the photographs spread on the internet, social media users slammed Prince Andrew and Sarah for failing to wear their face masks or gloves while packing up the cupcakes.
One netizen wrote, "You both are wrong in so many ways 1st it should have been done inside on kitchen counter and 2nd you should have had face mask and gloves on."
"You have caused the Firm a great deal of embarrassment and harm. Not to mention you mother the Queen what she must be going through," another one wrote.
To recall, the Duke of York's brother, Prince Charles, survived the life-threatening disease after the Clarence House confirmed that he was tested positive for coronavirus. The heir to the throne reportedly displayed mild symptoms after he attended multiple events before his diagnosis.
Meanwhile, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip traveled to Windsor Castle to self-isolate after learning their son's health status.
Despite all the negative comments he received, another royal watcher Richard Fitzwilliams chose to commend Prince Andrew's "admirable" actions.
"This is the sort of thing he (Prince Andrew) ought to be doing. When someone does something like this, it's very, very clear it should be appreciated," the royal commentator said.
Crimes Are Not Forgotten
Despite complimenting the Duke, Fitzwilliams still warned Prince Andrew that he is still expected to face interrogations over his unresolved case about his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, which led him to step down from his royal duties.
Last year, the Duke of York became the center of attention after he exposed his knowledge about the late convicted sex trafficker during his bombshell BBC Newsnight interview with Emily Maitlis.
He ultimately failed to give the answers the public wanted and just created more questions instead -- which are still all unanswered up until today, making it even more impossible for him to regain the public's trust all over again.
