Charles breaks cover at Sandringham for first time since new Andrew revelations

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King Charles attended a Sunday service at St Mary Magdalene Church at Sandringham (Image: PA)
King Charles attended a Sunday service at St Mary Magdalene Church at Sandringham (Image: PA)

King Charles has broken his cover at Sandringham for the first time since Prince Andrew was named in dozens of legal documents relating to Jeffrey Epstein.

The monarch has been pictured this morning attending a Sunday service at St Mary Magdalene Church on the royal estate in Norfolk. He was then seen chatting to Simon and Georgina Ward and their sons William and Oliver. The disgraced Duke of York had joined the king and other members of the Firm there for Christmas, but it's understood he has since been holed up at his Royal Lodge home in Windsor.

A source told the Mirror earlier this week there is "no way back" for Andrew. The Duke is once again at the centre of the news agenda after he was named in legal files concerning his former friend and Epstein's lover, sex offender Ghislaine Maxwell. Royal sources say Charles is faced with making a dramatic U-turn on his decision to order his family to fall in line and welcome his brother back into the fold.

Senior royals – including Prince William, whom the King overruled – warned that Andrew's appalling association with late convicted paedophile Epstein "will never go away" and is a direct threat to the future of the monarchy. A royal source said: "The King has no option but to completely cut ties with Andrew. He will forever be tainted by his association with Epstein and despite his denials of wrongdoing, the constant drip of information about Epstein and Ghislaine Max­­well is a stain on the Royal Family. There is no way back for him. Andrew should have no place in public alongside the King or any other member of the Royal Family."

Charles breaks cover at Sandringham for first time since new Andrew revelations eiqrqiezirhinvCharles appeared in good spirits as he stopped to chat to Simon and Georgina Ward and their sons William and Oliver (PA)

Hundreds of legal papers released in the last few days include claims the duke had "daily massages" during frequent visits to late paedophile Epstein's Florida mansion. Juan Alessi, Epstein's housekeeper from 1991 until 2002, said: "Prince Andrew spent weeks with us." He admitted he could not remember if Andrew had more than one massage each day and he didn't know what happened during them.

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Courtiers say the monarch made the decision to cast out the Duke of York permanently following crunch talks prior to being crowned. But despite having no way back into the inner circles of the Firm, Andrew has vowed to resist any attempt by the King to kick him out of his mansion. A source close to Andrew and ex-wife Fergie – who share 30-room Royal Lodge in Windsor – said Andrew has no plans to give up his royal pad. They said: "Andrew is going nowhere. He has a cast iron lease."

It has also emerged aides made a conscious effort to keep Andrew apart from Charles during the Christmas break at Sandringham last month amid concerns he might ask for help over the Epstein files. The Duke of York was described by one aide as constantly "lurking" and "ready to pounce" so he could corner his "generous" and "kind" brother. It's understood Charles remains "resolute" that his brother should have no way back into the fold.

Charles breaks cover at Sandringham for first time since new Andrew revelationsCharles walks with Georgina Ward (PA)

The Duke was forced to step down from royal life and stripped of his military appointments and patronages in 2019, after his disastrous BBC Newsnight interview. In it, he said he did not regret the friendship with Epstein due to the "opportunities I was given to learn" about business from the shamed financier.

Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein's accusers, claimed that she was forced to have sex with the prince on three occasions in 2001 when she was just 17 – claims which have resurfaced in the latest court documents to be unsealed by a judge in the US. The Duke has always denied any form of sexual relationship with Ms Giuffre.

Ryan Merrifield

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