Prince Andrew’s fall from grace was one of the most notable scandals in royal history. His association with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, combined with allegations from Virginia Giuffre of sexual misconduct, severely damaged his reputation. Late Queen Elizabeth stripped him of his honorary military titles and Buckingham Palace confirmed he would no longer perform public duties or use the ‘His Royal Highness' status.
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Ever since then, there has been one blow after another for the Duke of York. For instance, his brother King Charles is still trying to evict him from the Royal Lodge and the National Portrait Gallery is looking to acquire a disgraceful photo of the Duke.
Prince Andrew’s return to Royal Life carefully orchestrated by King Charles, claims insider
Amidst this, the disgraced Duke made headlines once again when he was driven to church in Scotland by his nephew, Prince William. This outing, which took place at Crathie Kirk, near Balmoral Castle, raised questions about Andrew’s status within the Royal Family.
Being spotted arriving at the church with the future King has been seen as a major boost towards his rehabilitation. A Balmoral insider told The Mirror there was initially some confusion over how the 63-year-old would travel to the church. However, a call on Sunday morning before leaving the house changed everything as he got to know he would be driven by Prince William - who has a new look now. The insider said:
It’s more than he (Andrew) could have wished for.
The outing may be a sign that he could be seen out in public with the Royal Family more often now. According to The Express, the King has had several conversations with Andrew where they both agreed on bringing him back in the royal fold. It is understood that the Duke himself doesn’t want to return to public duties. A source said:
The King feels he has an awful lot on his in-tray and this is one issue he wants to draw a line under.
This comes after Prince William said he would ‘boycott’ the Garter Day parade at Windsor Castle if Prince Andrew were to take part in the procession. An insider reports that while Prince William is comfortable attending private events with the Duke, he ‘absolutely has no desire’ to be seen with him in public.
The real reason why King Charles wants to keep Prince Andrew close
However, Prince William may need to put his convictions to the side as the decision to keep Prince Andrew close may be more well-thought and strategic than emotional.
A well-placed insider told The Express that the Firm has ‘huddled together’ to stop the disgraced Duke from writing a tell-all book.
It is understood that the Duke of York wants to write a book on his connection with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein to tell his side of the story. While Andrew believes it will be a good idea, the Royal Family believes it will be the ‘worst thing’ he could do. The source explained:
Andrew keeps bringing up the idea of getting his side across via a book. But the family believes it is the worst thing he can do.
He doesn't want to pen a tell-all like Spare, but he's very keen to set the record straight about the Epstein mess and the subsequent fallout.
Could Prince Andrew be another Prince Harry?
The Royal Family is concerned that Prince Andrew may go rogue like Prince Harry. The source said:
Another Harry would be catastrophic for the family. It's better to keep Andrew close than to cut him off.
The feeling is that keeping him in the thick of it will cause less damage than if he were to go rogue and start firing shots at the family from the outside.
Reportedly, the monarch may even let him stay at the Royal Lodge to prevent his book from materialising. The added:
There are also discussions ongoing about helping Andrew with his living arrangements and for him to remain at Royal Lodge.
This information comes just a day before the release of a new series A Very Royal Scandal.
Prince Andrew: A Very Royal Scandal’s Micheal Sheen opens up about the Duke
Set to be released on 19 September, the series is based on Prince Andrew’s controversial 2019 BBC ‘Newsnight’ interview.
Michael Sheen, the Welsh actor known for his roles in films like Frost/Nixon, is playing the part of the disgraced Duke. In an interview with People Magazine, Sheen highlighted the delicate balance between family loyalty and public accountability that the royals must maintain.
He suggested that while the family may wish to forgive Andrew, the public expects transparency and action. As such, the actor said he would never want to be a royal himself:
The fairytale image of it seems so extraordinary — living in palaces and having everything you want and servants and all that kind of stuff.
But the reality seems to be that there are far more restrictions than there are freedoms. No amount of wealth or assets or privilege can make up for not being able to have basic sort of freedoms that a lot of us take for granted.
In another interview with Radio Times, the actor said he found it difficult to play the Duke’s role, reports The Express. He said:
I found it difficult to distinguish between what we filmed and the reality and also, how I felt about it.
God, no. I had no help at all.
Read more:
Sarah Ferguson rules out remarriage with Prince Andrew: 'We are very happy as we are'
Prince Andrew: His biographer predicts a very grim future for the royal
Sources used:
Mirror: King Charles 'overruled Prince William' to welcome disgraced royal 'back into family'
The Express: Prince Andrew 'back in Royal Family' after pictures with Princess Kate and William
People Magazine: Michael Sheen Reveals Why He Would Never Want to Be a Member of the Royal Family
The Express: Michael Sheen said he 'had no help at all' for Prince Andrew role
