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Prince Andrew‘s royal life ended the moment he stepped into that disastrous BBC interview about his involvement with Jeffrey Epstein. As Queen Elizabeth II’s favorite son, things might have stayed the same had it not been for the interference of his older brother King Charles III and his nephew, Prince William. They were reportedly the ones who made sure he was banished from his royal role.
Christopher Andersen, author of The King: The Life of King Charles III, told Us Weekly that Charles was “instrumental” in making sure “Andrew was more or less drummed out of the family.” The King didn’t want to make the decision alone, so he had “William’s backing” to make a case with the Queen that something needed to be done. Andrew was facing a sexual assault civil lawsuit from Virginia Roberts Giuffre as a result of his association with convicted sex offender Epstein.
Andrew was stripped of his royal role, his patronages, and his military titles as a result of Charles’ interference. One of the King’s main concerns was that his mother “was going to dip into her personal pocket” to pay her son’s legal settlement fee, but Charles looked at the situation from a different perspective. “Charles just was going to be the heir — that this was also money that would’ve come to him eventually,” noted Andersen.
The royal expert also revealed Andrew’s retirement from public life came with “an unspoken implicit deal” to announce that Camilla would be named Queen Consort when Charles rose to the throne. While the revelation “took everybody by surprise,” it was the result of some behind-the-scenes negotiations to get Andrew out and give Camilla a vote of confidence — all thanks to Charles and William’s reported royal planning.
Before you go, click here to learn more about Prince Andrew & Sarah Ferguson’s royal relationship.
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