London, Dec 25 (AFP/APP): After a torrid 2019 in which the queen’s son Prince Andrew was implicated in an underage sex abuse scandal, many in Britain are again asking if the monarchy has gotten too big — and rich — for its own good. The family’s year to forget may encourage Prince Charles, set to eventually take over from his mother Queen Elizabeth II, 93, in his purported belief that the centuries-old institution needs reform, according to royal experts. “He wants to slim it down to a hard core of senior family members who work full-time,” said author Penny Junor, who has written several books on the royals including “The Firm” — the nickname sometimes given to the family. “Andrew shooting himself in the foot has certainly made that an easier task,” she told AFP. The 59-year-old prince, dubbed the queen’s “favourite son” by the UK press, has been dogged by allegations that he had sex with one of American convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein’s victims. Andrew, who strenuously denies the accusations, gave a calamitous BBC interview last month in which he unsuccessfully tried to distance himself from the late US financier. The furious media backlash saw him subsequently promise to … Continue reading Cost of UK royals back in spotlight after Queen’s year to forget