Princess Anne is reportedly “concerned” about the welfare of her younger brother, Prince Andrew, amidst escalating pressure surrounding his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Andrew recently renounced his Duke of York title due to these concerns.
King Charles’ younger sibling also surrendered his membership of the Order of the Garter, Britain’s oldest and most prestigious order of chivalry. Despite this, he maintains his innocence in a statement, asserting that he continues to “vigorously deny the accusations against me”. In recent days, there have been calls for MPs to scrutinise his living arrangements at Royal Lodge. In 2003, the prince signed a lease with the Crown Estate allowing him to reside in the 30-room mansion, provided he covers maintenance costs.
The BBC reports that an £8m upfront payment allows him to pay a nominal “peppercorn” rent on the property, believed to be as little as £1.
Richard Kay, Editor-at-Large of the Daily Mail and a friend of Princess Diana, suggests that both Anne and her younger brother Edward are “concerned” about Andrew, reports the Mirror.
When questioned on the Palace Confidential podcast if Anne could have acted as a “mediator” within the Royal Family, Mr Kay responded: “I think Anne and Edward have played a role.
“I think, if anything, they’ve been concerned about their brother’s well-being, how he’s handling this intense pressure. You can’t forget there is a human being at the centre of this.”
He continued: “I think maybe Anne, and particularly Edward who is closer to him, have been very concerned about how the King handles the whole situation and I think they feel there’s a duty of care towards Prince Andrew.”
Andrew revealed he had spoken with the King as well as his “wider family” before choosing to surrender his Duke of York title.
The decision came five years after he withdrew from public duties following a Newsnight interview where he faced questions about his association with Epstein.
In the statement, he said: “In discussion with the King, and my immediate and wider family, we have concluded the continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family.
“I have decided, as I always have, to put my duty to my family and country first. I stand by my decision five years ago to stand back from public life.
“With His Majesty’s agreement, we feel I must now go a step further. I will therefore no longer use my title or the honours which have been conferred upon me. As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me.”
Andrew nevertheless retains his prince status.
His former wife will now be referred to as Sarah Ferguson rather than the Duchess of York, though their daughters have kept their princess titles.
Buckingham Palace has been contacted regarding Mr Kay’s remarks.
