Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has infuriated members of the Royal Family and the general public but there’s one member of The Firm that reportedly had enough. Andrew has been embroiled in controversy and scandal leading to him being stripped of his royal titles by his brother, King Charles. In February, the disgraced prince was arrested.
He has since been seen supporting his sister-in-law at the Sandringham Horse Driving Trials. It was seen as a show of support for his sister-in-law, Princess Sophie, who was competing. But despite that visit and the horse trial appearance, Sophie is said to “loathe” her brother-in-law. The friction seemingly stems from an attempt by Andrew to boost his daughters, Beatrice and Eugenie, up the royal pecking order.
Before Andrew’s downfall, the sisters were often seen as potential working royals, especially given the King‘s fondness for them.
Andrew lobbied his brother for them to be included alongside the likes of Prince William, Princess Catherine, and Princess Anne.
However, in a bid to play to His Majesty’s wish for a smaller monarchy, he reportedly said there should be no such promotion for Edward and Sophie’s children, Lady Louise and James, Earl of Wessex.
According to the Daily Mail’s Ephraim Hardcastle column, this sparked “quite a regal ding-dong” and the pair have never repaired any friendship.
Sophie cold-shouldered Andrew at the funeral of the Duchess of Kent last year, the same event the former Duke of York tried awkwardly to make small talk with a clearly uninterested Prince William.
Edward and Sophie opted not to use their children’s royal titles and styles when they were born, and while the pair had the right to use them when they turned 18, they have chosen not to.
Despite Andrew‘s lobbying on behalf of Beatrice and Eugenie, the scandal that has engulfed him, as well as their mother Sarah Ferguson, looks to have ended any hopes they might have had of becoming working royals.
Already a diminished character due to allegations of sexual assault against him, which he has always denied, further revelations about Andrew’s friendship with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, as well as his arrest under suspicion of handing sensitive data to the late financier, ended any hopes of a royal comeback. Andrew has always denied any wrong-doing in relation to Epstein.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.express.co.uk ’
