Britain is becoming a society without shame

From Prince Andrew to the rape gangs, we are witness to shamelessness. Unless we are prepared to punish people, our country will be poorer, weaker and less fair.

No court of law has yet found Prince Andrew guilty of the very serious allegations made against him. But does that mean he is innocent?

We may never know the full details of his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, or what exactly happened with Virginia Giuffre, who accused the Prince of sexually abusing her when she was a minor. We do know that Andrew agreed a financial settlement to prevent Giuffre’s allegations being heard in court. In her posthumous book, Giuffre describes “orgies” with underage girls, and, in the latest raft of published documents, there is evidence of Andrew receiving “massages” on Epstein’s private jet.

We also know that Prince Andrew lied – in his notorious interview with BBC Newsnight – about how long he had remained in touch with Epstein. And we know that Sarah Ferguson, Andrew’s ex-wife who continues to live with him, had stayed in contact with Epstein longer than she had previously claimed.

This all follows a stream of other controversies, including questions about his business connections, and the “close confidant” who turned out to be a Chinese spy invited by Andrew into Buckingham Palace. There remain questions about Andrew’s personal finances, and the lease agreement he has allowing him to live in Royal Lodge – a thirty-room mansion – without rent.

Of course, prompted by the King, Prince Andrew has said he will no longer use his royal titles. He will never again be called the Duke of York or a Knight of the Garter. But his involvement with the Royal Family remains a source of deep embarrassment. The Prince and Princess of Wales are due soon to move into their own home near Royal Lodge, the public will want to know they are not funding the lifestyle of a man in disgrace, and a motion might yet be put before Parliament to debate what remains of his royal status and privileges.

That this saga continues is down to Prince Andrew’s lack of shame. Only belatedly did he accept he needed to stop using his royal titles, and even now he appears determined to defend what he still has. He seems not to recognise at all that he has brought his family, the monarchy and the country into a state of dishonour and disrepute.