Royal Immunity: The Unseen Art of State Protection
When a prankster managed to hang a fabricated arrest photo of former Prince Andrew in the Louvre, the act received widespread attention. The image, depicting a mugshot of the royal with Ghislaine Maxwell, was positioned among genuine masterpieces, a fleeting statement on accountability. This echoes earlier incidents, such as when French artist JR installed oversized photographs of refugees on the
pyramids of the Louvre in 2019, drawing attention to migration issues. These interventions highlight how public spaces can be momentarily reclaimed for social commentary. However, the temporary nature of such stunts masks a deeper, more persistent reality. The global public continues to track Prince Andrew's alleged involvement with Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking network, with Virginia
Giuffre's civil lawsuit against him settled for an undisclosed sum in 2022. While he was stripped of his military titles and royal patronages, he remains a Duke and a member of the Royal Family, enjoying protections most citizens do not. This continuity of status, despite severe allegations, illustrates a societal double standard. The historical precedent for such immunity is long-standing.
Consider the 1978 Lockheed bribery scandal, where powerful figures in Japan, including former Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka, faced charges related to illicit payments from the American aerospace giant. While Tanaka was convicted, significant political reverberations and questions about wider elite involvement persisted, demonstrating how even in cases of conviction, the broader networks of power