King Charles is left with “no other option” but to provide for “unstable” Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, with the monarch’s last hope being able to “contain” his disgraced brother, sources have claimed. The former Duke of York, who no longer bears any titles or honours and carries the status of a commoner, plunged further into humiliation last week when the US Department of Justice released the latest tranche of the Jeffrey Epstein files.
Andrew is mentioned in several of the documents. Although being mentioned in the Epstein files does not indicate wrongdoing, the former prince’s repeated appearances within Epstein’s circle have brought a dark cloud over the monarchy, with the King axing his titles last year and forcing him to move out of Royal Lodge this year. The King’s brother was whisked away to Norfolk earlier this week after the newly released files brought further shame to his name, some of which were pictures of him kneeling over a woman’s body while on all fours.
The latest revelations about Andrew prompted the King, who is faced with a dire situation, to “accelerate” Andrew’s eviction from Royal Lodge to Norfolk.
A palace source told The Times: “The King feels he has no other option than to provide for his brother, who will be privately funded on a private estate.
“Every time he’s tried to support himself by independent means, it has led to greater trouble. Containing him is the hope.”
Sources close to the monarch said the latest Epstein revelations were “shocking and distressing” and described Andrew as “unstable”.
Another friend of the King said Andrew, trotting around Windsor when the Epstein scandal exploded, was the final straw for the monarch, who was eager to move his brother out of Windsor and the public gaze.
The friend said: “The King is acutely aware of the public feeling. He doesn’t need to be heckled to understand the mood of the nation. Accelerating him [Andrew] out of Royal Lodge last was another nod to show he gets it. A plan made is not the same as a plan enacted, and the King wanted that plan enacted asap.
“The King feels that keeping his brother out of the public gaze and away from any kind of public expense, is the right thing to do. Andrew is no longer a burden on the public purse and the King has done all he can to remove him from the public gaze, but the reality is he can’t remove him from the public consciousness.”
Buckingham Palace has been contacted for comment.
Andrew has always denied any wrongdoing. He has not commented on the latest revelations.