When he used to be able to leave the house, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was an avid golfer. Before he became trapped in a quagmire of scandal his life was so perfect every day was like getting three holes in one at Augusta while playing alongside Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods.
Now it’s more akin to a lonely five-hour January slog round a muddy pitch and putt in Stoke while rain is relentlessly blown into your face by gale force winds. Which is not much fun – even if you really like golf. Having spent so much of his life travelling the world while the rich and famous giddily hung off his every word, the fall from grace would leave most people waking up in a sweat. People capable of sweating that is.
It’s been stark that since his move to a boggy corner of Norfolk he’s seemingly had almost no visitors. Prince Edward popped in. He’s always seemed the sort of chap you can rely on to stick by you through thick and thin.
Some shopping’s been delivered. Not from Aldi or Lidl one presumes.
But that’s been about the sum of it. The rest of the royals have wisely kept their distance.
And now it appears that some are not just staying clear of being seen with the Andrew formerly known as Prince.
Prince William is believed to have been most persistent in his insistence that King Charles properly punish Andrew for his grotty friendship with vile paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
But now the Mail reports that Queen Camilla is also bending her husband’s ear, and calling for “clearer action to distance the institution from the entire York branch of the family”.
He’s no longer a prince, no longer the Duke of York and no longer has a 30-room mansion to feel pompous in. Other than his teddy bears (and maybe his golf clubs) there’s not much left to take away.
Royal biographer Phil Dampier told the Mail: “Queen Camilla has taken on the cause of abused women and so it’s deeply embarrassing and difficult for her to be associated with the Yorks and their sordid past.”
If Andrew’s now made an enemy of Camilla as well as William, Charles is surely smart enough to wield the axe. What’s to be gained from Beatrice remaining ninth in line and Eugenie 12th?
Charles remains fond of his nieces but surely he can be ruthless in public while still being a loving uncle by inviting them to private family gatherings.
Andrew’s invite, though, like a shanked drive at St Andrews, can be left behind like a lost ball in the long rough.
‘ 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 ’
