Princess Anne ‘opened her home’ to troubled brother amid crisis

When the disgraced royal was stripped of his titles last year, Anne was reportedly concerned about her brother’s mental health, as he was facing the prospect of finding alternative housing as calls for his eviction from Royal Lodge intensified.

At the time, before the extent of Andrew’s involvement with billionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein was revealed with the release of the Epstein files, Anne reportedly offered her struggling brother a generous offer.

According to royal expert Richard Kay, the King’s sister offered to have him come and live with her at Gatcombe Park in Gloucestershire. Mr Kay told the Daily Mail that Anne made the offer "not just as an act of Christian charity but a willingness to surround him with family love".It is unclear if she was suggesting Andrew move into the main home or if there was a residence on site designated for the former prince, as both of her children have separate properties on the grounds.

She is also said to have called her younger brother during the Christmas period when the rest of the royals were gathered at Sandringham and Andrew remained in exile in Windsor.

However it has also been claimed that the princess’s upset with her brother has grown in recent months amid the release of millions of documents as part of the Epstein files.

Now Andrew is residing on the King’s Norfolk estate of Sandringham, living in temporary accommodation of Wood Farm until his more permanent lodgings of Marsh Farm have completed a series of much needed renovations.

Ahead of Andrew’s arrest, it was claimed by a royal source that Anne had been growing concerned that her eldest brother, King Charles, had been too harsh on Andrew by stripping him of his titles and forcing him to hand over his lease on Royal Lodge.

A source told the Daily Mail in January: "Anne has been vocal with both the King and William about Andrew’s treatment," adding that "Edward is backing her to some extent. There are several arguments going on between Andrew and the King and between the King and the wider family – some of whom are convinced the King has treated his brother too harshly."

According to the source, the situation has taken a toll on Charles as he hopes to keep the peace within his family, yet Prince William and Queen Camilla have advocated for a firmer stance against Andrew’s scandals, creating significant "family angst".

The royal insider went on to claim that even Charles has a heavy heart over the decision to strip his brother of his titles, but due to widespread public demand, had to take drastic action.

In October, when asked if Anne could have acted as a “mediator” among the Royal Family amid the Andrew scandal on the Palace Confidential podcast, Mr Kay replied: “I think Anne and Edward have played a role. I think, if anything, they’ve been concerned about their brother’s well-being, how he’s handling this intense pressure.” Since Andrew’s arrest in February, Anne has dodged questions about her younger brother while on royal engagements.