ROYAL FAMILY NEWSEx-Prince Andrew Finds It 'Deeply Unfair' People Like King Charles Have 'Turned on Him' After Epstein-Related Arrest: 'He's Been Pampered'
King Charles expressed 'deep concern' regarding allegations made against his brother Andrew after the former prince's arrest.
March 5 2026, Published 8:10 p.m. ET
Former Prince Andrew is experiencing a rude awakening after being stripped of his royal titles and arrested as a result of his past association with late child predator Jeffrey Epstein.
The disgraced son of Queen Elizabeth II is reportedly struggling with the fallout from his ties to the disgraced financier — and feels it is "deeply unfair" that members of the royal family, including King Charles III, have distanced themselves.
According to royal expert Andrew Lownie, the former Duke of York remains frustrated by the shift in public opinion and the reaction from those closest to him.
'He Still Thinks He's Anointed'
Prince Andrew feels it is 'deeply unfair' how he's been treated by members of the royal family.
"He still thinks he's anointed — that it's deeply unfair people have turned on him," Lownie said in a recent interview with People.
Andrew, who has repeatedly denied wrongdoing related to Epstein, stepped back from royal duties in November 2019 following widespread backlash over his disastrous BBC NewsNight interview — in which he discussed his relationship with the late criminal and his convicted co-conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell.
Queen Elizabeth then stripped her son of his military affiliations and royal patronages in January 2022, less than one year before her death.
Ex-Prince Andrew Has Been 'Pampered All the Way Through His Life'
Ex-Prince Andrew was formally stripped of his royal titles in November 2025.
In November 2025, King Charles formally removed his younger brother of his remaining royal titles, including His Royal Highness and prince, shortly after Andrew announced he'd no longer use his Duke of York title and other related honors.
In People's latest cover story, Lownie suggested Andrew’s perspective stems from a lifetime of privilege inside the royal system.
"He has been pampered all the way through his life, in this bubble," the royal expert explained. "Status is everything to him — it's his only sense of identity."
- How Queen Elizabeth's Death Was 'Final Nail in Coffin' for Ex-Prince Andrew — 'When She Died, So Did His Protection'
- 'Status Is Everything to Him': 'Pampered' Ex-Prince Andrew Lost His 'Identity' After He Was Stripped of Royal Titles
- Ex-Prince Andrew Is In a 'Fragile' and 'Isolated' State After Royal Exile: 'He's Lost Everything'
Want OK! each day? Sign up here!
Former Prince Andrew was arrested on February 19 on suspicion of misconduct while in public office.
Lownie claimed Andrew believed he and others within his circle could continue operating quietly without facing scrutiny.
"They thought they'd be able to operate like this under the radar," he alleged, seemingly in reference to Andrew and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, who has also faced scrutiny due to her ties to Epstein and Maxwell. "They're clearly up to their necks in exploiting their royal status."
Princess Beatrice and Eugenie Are 'Caught Between a Rock and Hard Place'
Ex-Prince Andrew's daughters are facing the consequences of their father's past.
Andrew and Ferguson's past has reportedly complicated the futures of their daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, who remain public figures while navigating the controversy surrounding their mom and dad.
"They're caught between a rock and a hard place over loyalty to their parents and their future," Lownie said.
Andrew’s reputation was largely tarnished ever since Epstein's 2019 arrest on federal s-- trafficking charges. The financier later died by suicide in jail while awaiting trial in August of that same year.
