ROYALSKing Charles Forced Prince William to Attend an Event With His Disgraced Uncle Prince Andrew
Prince Andrew resigned from royal duties in 2020.
Prince Andrew is no longer a working royal, but sources claim King Charles wants to include the disgraced figure in family gatherings despite Prince William's discomfort.
"The King feels he has an awful lot on his [plate] and this is one issue he wants to draw a line under," an insider told an outlet after Andrew attended a church service with his nephew on Sunday, August 25.
Sources claim Prince William wants to publicly distance himself from Prince Andrew.
Currently, the Duke of York is fighting to stay at the Royal Lodge after Charles asked him to vacate the property in 2023. OK! previously reported an insider claimed Andrew is struggling to embrace his new normal after resigning from his role due to the assault allegations surrounding him.
“[Andrew] is taking longer than desirable to recognize the reality of the situation, even though [relocating] is clearly the most sensible course of action,” a source told an outlet.
“It can be done tidily or untidily. It can be done with grace and dignity or it can be forced upon him. It’s all rather sad,” a separate source continued.
Prince Andrew was stripped of his HRH status in 2022.
When Andrew stopped working for his family, the father-of-two lost his royal salary, and the insider thinks he can't afford to maintain his lavish home without it.
“But as things stand, life at Royal Lodge is set to become increasingly cold and uncomfortable for the duke," a source noted. "The only question now is when he will realize that he has become a prisoner of his own pride.”
Prince Andrew isn't a working royal but still attends family gatherings.
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Andrew was once praised for his military career, but in recent years, his public image has been associated with convicted trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. Virginia Giuffre unveiled Andrew's association with Epstein when she sued him for abuse in 2021, but the pair settled the case the following year.
The legal battle continues to plague Andrew's reputation, and one royal expert hinted at the veteran still processing becoming disliked by the general public.
"I think we must all accept that he is not wanted for any public duties," broadcaster Hugo Vickers told an outlet. "If you were running a charity you wouldn't be asking Prince Andrew to come and be your guest of honor. So nobody wants him in a public way."
"So there he is living at Royal Lodge, playing golf, seeing his children and grandchildren and riding in the park and it is expensive," Vickers continued. "The ideal situation would of course be that Andrew would volunteer to down-size and move somewhere else."
Prince Andrew resides at the Royal Lodge with Sarah Ferguson.
Andrew has adamantly denied the accusations against him, as Vickers alluded to the prince viewing moving as a confession.
"What I think he feels is that if he moves out of Royal Lodge it's somehow publicly accepting guilt for which he has not been proved," Vickers noted. "Nevertheless it's an expensive lifestyle."
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Sources spoke to The Mirror.
