FUTURE KING’S SPEECH: PULLING THE PIN ON ANDREW
The king-to-be makes his royal decree
With scandal andal engulfing his family mily at home, Prince Charles could have been forgiven en for cancelling engagements ents or cutting short his tour of New w Zealand.
But the consummate ate royal, l who h travelled the country with his wife the Duchess of Cornwall before a solo trip to the Solomon Islands, never missed a beat.
Smiling and chatting to wellwishers at every stop, he gave no hint of the crisis plaguing the monarchy after his brother Prince Andrew’s disastrous TV interview about his links to billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
But Woman’sDay can reveal that behind the scenes of the much-lauded tour, every spare moment was spent on the phone as he consulted with his 93-yearold mother the Queen, Prince William and senior palace aides.
While he listened to every opinion on the matter, sources say that, in the end, it was the king-in-waiting pulling the strings, insisting that the only course of action was to strip his younger brother of his royal duties. Not since Edward VIII had a member of the royal family been forced to resign.
Our source says that the 71-year-old acted “boldly and with decisiveness”, concerned only with protecting the monarchy from further damage. And in a scene that could have come straight from an episode of Netflix drama TheCrown, Charles is said to have told his mother, “Andrew has to go. It is the only way.”
“Charles stepped up in a big way and his actions are being seen as a pivotal moment in terms of the Queen handing over the baton,” tells our insider.
“She has been involved in discussions but almost entirely left the final decisionmaking to Charles, who dealt with the problem swiftly, firmly and without allowing emotion to get in the way. To say she is proud of him is an understatement.”
The sordid saga has dominated headlines since Andrew, said to be the Queen’s favourite son, gave his now infamous car-crash interview. Amid accusations that he slept with a teenage sex slave, he’d hoped that sitting down with the BBC would help to clear his name. Instead, his apparent lack of sympathy for the convicted paedophile’s victims created a furore of epic proportions.
The Buckingham Palace announcement that Andrew is to step down from royal duties for “the foreseeable future” came just days after the interview aired. It was during Charles’ day off in Aotearoa, and after consultation with his Private Secretary Clive Alderton and the Queen, that the final decision is believed to have been made.
Sources say his key role in Andrew’s swift removal is the latest sign of a transition process from mother to son that has reportedly been happening for several years.
“Planning for Charles to become king has been going on for some time. A transition is already underway. Her Majesty is in her 90s and can only do so much. The scandal surrounding Andrew and Epstein gave Charles an opportunity to step in to show that he can run The Firm.”
As he landed back in the UK late last week, it’s understood Charles travelled straight to Sandringham to meet with Prince Philip for further discussions about Andrew’s fate.
Instead of giving his brother a “dressing down” immediately, he was said to have sought his 98-year-old father’s guidance before making his next move. Known for being the disciplinarian of the royal family, Philip has ruled over the younger generations with an iron fist, and will no doubt have a strong view on the next steps with Andrew.
In another development, William, 37, reportedly visited the Queen at Buckingham Palace, where he’s said to be taking a lead role in the discussions as well.
Meanwhile, the family was bracing itself for another BBC interview this week, during which the prince’s accuser, Virginia Roberts, was set to reveal further allegations.
Andrew, 59, is reportedly holed up at the Royal Lodge in Windsor, with his ex-wife the Duchess of York at his side.
“Andrew has spiralled into a dark place behind closed doors,” says an insider. “He’s barely eating or sleeping and is desperately anxious over his future as a royal.”
While Fergie has hardly left Andrew’s side, his daughters Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie are mostly keeping their distance, although the eldest briefly visited her embattled dad.
“They’ve told friends they want time to process everything that’s going on, and at the moment they need their space from him.”
It’s understood that Andrew has been advised to stay out of the public eye until next year, when Beatrice, 31, weds property developer Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi.
“Beatrice can’t even think about her wedding right now because she’s terrified it’ll be overshadowed by the Epstein scandal,” says a pal. “This is a nightmare for her and the entire family and they know it could get a lot worse before it gets better.”
Meanwhile, the Queen has reportedly cancelled a large celebration planned for Andrew’s 60th birthday in February, which would have highlighted his charities – all of which he’s stepped back from.
Instead, the royals will mark Andrew’s birthday with a “small family dinner”. One can only imagine how awkward that celebration will be.