King Charles facing 'major threats' from Prince Andrew, royal expert says

30 July 2023 , 18:59
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King Charles facing
King Charles facing 'major threats' from Prince Andrew, royal expert says

King Charles is facing 'major threats' from his brother Prince Andrew surrounding his residency at the Royal Lodge in Windsor, according to a royal commentator.

The Duke of York, 63, has been keeping a low profile since his pricy legal settlement with 39-year-old Virginia Giuffre - an alleged victim of Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking ring. The late Queen Elizabeth II stripped her second-born son of his military titles and royal patronages last year during the civil suit for sexual assault allegations.

The Prince, who is eighth in line to the throne, strongly denied any wrongdoing but the allegations have overshadowed his reputation ever since. King Charles has allowed his brother to continue living at the Royal Lodge in Windsor while his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson recovers from breast cancer, but it is understood the King wants him to move out as part of his plans for a slimmed down monarchy, the Daily Express reports.

Acclaimed biographer Andrew Lownie told the Daily Beast: “Andrew is digging his heels... it’s part of a wider power and status game with Charles. Optics don’t look good, but that won’t worry Andrew. I don’t see him ever leaving."

King Charles facing 'major threats' from Prince Andrew, royal expert says eiqrridttiqqxinvKing Charles reportedly plans to evict his brother from his home of 20 years (Getty Images)

He also claimed that 'Charles and William have united to bring him down a peg or two', and try and keep him and his family under the radar because 'as the future of the monarchy, they have most to lose by his antics'.

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The Royal Lodge has been the home of Prince Andrew since 2003, when he reportedly signed a 75-year lease for the property. He currently lives there with his ex-wife, Sarah, Duchess of York, despite the couple divorcing in 1996. They share two children together, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, who are now aged 34 and 33 respectively.

King Charles facing 'major threats' from Prince Andrew, royal expert saysPrince Andrew was stripped of his royal titles by the late Queen last year (UK Press via Getty Images)

But royal commentator Daniella Elser said: "Ejecting Andrew from the 30-room monster is not some notion His Majesty might forget. Given this, what could or would the Duke, backed into a corner and desperate to hang onto this plum bit of his royal identity, resort to? All of which is to say, this looks like a fresh disaster-in-waiting for the King and his crisis team."

However Elser says there is 'other news' on the horizon that could be a 'major threat' to Buckingham Palace. She said: "Lownie has revealed that he is working on a book about Andrew and Fergie. Want to know how concerned the Men in Grey should be?

King Charles facing 'major threats' from Prince Andrew, royal expert saysPrince Andrew is said to be 'digging his heels' at the Royal Lodge (Getty Images)

"Lownie is the biographer who first broke the allegations in 2019 that Lord Mountbatten, Prince Philip’s uncle, and King Charles’ adored godfather, had sexually abused teenagers from a boys’ home.

"Then last year, in Lownie’s Traitor King, he revealed that King Edward VIII had helped the Nazis invade France. Which is to say, Lownie gets scoops like no other. Again, there could be fresh Andrew (and Fergie) bombshells to come."

King Charles is continuing on the traditional holiday at the Scottish retreat that was a favourite for the late Queen. William and Kate are believed to be heading up to spend some time there and so too will be Andrew and Sarah Ferguson. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are said to have turned down an invite.

Callum Hoare

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