A PR guru has claimed there is ‘no way’ back from Prince Andrew now
PRINCE William and Prince Harry’s rift is not the only feud taking place in the royal family at the moment.
According to royal experts, King Charles and Prince Andrew’s relationship is now “very, very bitter”, due to the Duke of York refusing to leave his home, Royal Lodge.
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King Charles and Prince Andrew’s rift is said to be ‘very, very bitter’Credit: Getty
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Prince William and Prince Harry have been feuding for yearsCredit: Getty
The monarch, 75, is allegedly threatening to sever ties with his younger brother the Duke of York, 64, over his failure to vacate Royal Lodge.
Andrew – often dubbed Elizabeth II’s favourite child – shares the home, on the grounds of Windsor Castle, with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson.
The shamed duke will never return to public duty after paying millions to settle an abuse case with a Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking victim, and Charles has been trying to evict him from the 30-room property for 18 months as it falls into disrepair.
Kate Mansey, Royal Editor of The Times, claims Charles and Andrew’s feud appears to mirror that of the King’s own sons Prince William and Prince Harry.
Speaking on her podcast, The Royals with Roya and Kate, she said: “I think we think about Harry and William falling out, but this is very, very bitter now between Andrew and the King.”
She added: “What’s so interesting is just how fraught the relations have got between the brothers.”
The Sun exclusively revealed Andrew had rejected the chance to move into Frogmore Cottage last year after Harry and Meghan were served with eviction.
Andrew is said to have pointed out that he is in possession of a 75-year lease – but could Charles still force a move?
Kate continued: “Somebody said to me, a friend close to the King, said it can be done tidily or it can be done untidily.
“Getting rid of Andrew from Royal Lodge can be done with grace and dignity, or it can be forced upon him.
King Charles & Prince Andrew ‘were NEVER close & are very different people… their feud has no end in sight,’ expert says
“So this is sort of fighting talk because Charles is paying a lot of money to have him stay there—his security, his allowance.”
Palace sources have insisted Prince Andrew “remains the King’s brother” and is welcome at family events but will never return to public duty.
The disgraced Duke’s police protection was removed when he stepped back from royal duties amid the Epstein scandal.
But Charles stepped in to pick up his multi-million pounds private security bill.
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Prince Andrew is said to be refusing to leave Royal LodgeCredit: Getty
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The Duke of York lives at the £30million Royal Lodge in WindsorCredit: The Sun
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Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson fear they could be kicked out of their homeCredit: Social Media – Refer to Source
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Royal Lodge boasts 30 rooms, including seven bedrooms and a large drawing room
The crisis shows no sign of going away after Netflix screened its hit drama Scoop detailing Andrew’s ‘car crash’ Newsnight interview.
And there is yet another depiction of his shame in an Amazon series on his downfall where Andy is played by actor Michael Sheen.
The scandal-hit father of two has kept out of the public since he caused controversy leading the family into a service for late Greek King Constantine at Windsor Castle in February in the absence of the cancer-hit King.
But last month he was seen playing golf without a care in the world with pals in Scotland.
King Charles and Prince Andrew’s relationship
King Charles and Prince Andrew are reported to have been closer as children, despite their 12-year age gap.
There are claims the now-monarch used to read bedtime stories to the young Duke of York, and they did attend royal duties together.
In 1981, Andrew was one of multiple best men at Charles’ wedding to Princess Diana.
Some royal experts suggest their relationship began to waiver after the Duke began dating Sarah Ferguson in 1985, who he then married the following year.
Richard Fitzwilliams pinpointed the period when Andrew’s marriage “started to disintegrate, and Sarah Ferguson was involved in a variety of controversial activities” that bad blood came to the surface.
“I mean, I think, very clearly Charles had doubts,” he continued, adding there were also issues with “the way Andrew handled his post” as a “special representative for British trade”.
In November 2019, things really came to a head when Andrew’s disastrous Newsnight interview was aired, in which he failed to say he regretted his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.
The pair appear to have first met in the early 1990s.
Mr Fitzwilliams added: “Charles must have been very concerned about the some of the company that his brother was keeping.”
Andrew was forced back from royal duties after the BBC broadcast and was later stripped of various titles and patronages amid his legal dispute with Virginia Giuffre.
Any hope that the attitude towards Andrew would soften now that Charles is King doesn’t appear realistic.
Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told The Sun: “The King has undoubtedly got a problem, and the Royal Family very, very clearly have extremely serious and embarrassing perpetual problem with Prince Andrew.”
He said the differences between the two brothers, however, have been striking their whole lives.
“They seem to have gone on as complete opposites, really, in so many ways,” he explained.
“Of course, there’s a 12-year age gap between King Charles and Prince Andrew,” he continued, adding they “hadn’t got that much in common”.
I think we think about Harry and William falling out, but this is very, very bitter now between Andrew and the King
Kate Mansey
“Charles is rather sort of intellectual, serious, sensitive. Andrew, rather bumptious, outgoing.”
Referring to the Royal Lodge dispute, Mr Fitzwilliams said: “You could argue what’s the point of him now?
“He has no royal role, he never will have. So what happens, and then he should get any money.
“Well, this is up to the King, obviously. It’s an embarrassing situation.
“The facts are, however, he still remains a terrible and dreadful embarrassment to the Royal Family, but that is a different matter.”
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Prince Andrew reportedly turned down the opportunity to move into Meghan and Harry’s old home, Frogmore CottageCredit: Jon Bond
