NEED TO KNOW
- Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has vacated Windsor’s Royal Lodge for Sandringham.
- New Epstein-related documents have reignited scrutiny.
- Prince William is reportedly frustrated with how King Charles is handling Andrew.
- Insiders say William wants greater transparency from the King.
- The future monarch is said to be focused on protecting the monarchy’s reputation.
Former prince, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, has finally vacated Windsor’s Royal Lodge for a life of obscurity in Sandringham, but that doesn’t mean the ongoing questions and revelations about his association with Jeffrey Epstein have gone away.
Nor does it mean that his nephew, the Prince of Wales, is satisfied with his dad King Charles’ handling of ‘the Andrew problem’.
“Far from it,” a palace insider exclusively tells New Idea.
“Prince William is frankly sick of being blindsided by the continual drip-feed of allegations about Andrew and is demanding Charles tell him everything he knows about his uncle.”
While there is no suggestion that Charles, 77, knew anything about the details of his brother’s association with Epstein, William, 43, our source adds, “is frustrated that he doesn’t feel like the King is keeping him in the loop about his uncle – or going far enough to deal with Andrew once and for all.”
When a new tranche of emails relating to the late, convicted sex offender Epstein was released last week, they contained further extremely damaging documents and photographs involving both Andrew, 65, and his ex-wife, the former Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson.
While the King stripped Andrew and Fergie, 66, of their royal titles last November, which, our insider says, “came in large part due to William’s urging”, the heir still feels as though “he’s being kept in the dark.”
Our source adds that William’s frustrations were compounded by Andrew remaining in Royal Lodge, which is only two kilometres from his own family home, Forest Lodge, for as long as he did.
“He was horrified that Andrew was frequently photographed driving in and out of the property or seen riding his horses as if he didn’t have a care in the world,” our source explains.
“He thinks Charles should cut off Andrew completely and feels as if Charles is almost half-protecting Andrew for some reason. He wants to know why.”
Whether it was the new Andrew revelations in the latest batch of Epstein documents – or William’s pushing – that forced Charles to finally insist that Andrew leave Windsor isn’t known.
But our source adds, “William is determined to protect the monarchy he will inherit at all costs.
“He lost patience with Andrew dragging the royal family through the mud a long time ago, and now he’s putting his foot down with Charles. If the King doesn’t consider William’s feelings more fully, he could soon have another major family battle on his hands.”
Beatrice and Eugenie’s SHOCK over Fergie’s emails
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie are said to be “mortified and aghast” at the new images and allegations about their parents in the latest Epstein files dump.
But it was Fergie crassly telling Epstein in a 2010 email that Eugenie, who was 19 at the time, was on a “shagging” weekend with her then-boyfriend Jack Brooksbank, that could be the final straw.
“They’re both just in total shock,” our royal insider says. “Eugenie has already distanced herself from Andrew, while Bea hadn’t completely. But after this, both of their parents can expect the cold shoulder from the girls.”
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