King Charles’ Camp Reportedly Blames Queen Elizabeth II for Protracted Prince Andrew Crisis

Royal Rift: Charles’ Allies Shift Blame for Prince Andrew’s Lingering Scandal

In a significant development highlighting the deep internal divisions within the British monarchy, reports have emerged suggesting that the inner circle of King Charles III is actively seeking to attribute the protracted crisis surrounding Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, to the protective decisions made by the late Queen Elizabeth II.

Citing sources close to the monarch, a report in The Sunday Times indicates a calculated effort by King Charles’s team to distance the current reign from the ongoing fallout of Andrew’s association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and the subsequent civil lawsuit settlement.

The central argument put forth by the King’s allies is that the late Queen’s unwavering maternal instinct prevented Charles, then Prince of Wales, from taking the decisive, harsh action he reportedly desired years ago. This alleged delay is now framed as the reason the Andrew problem continues to overshadow the early years of Charles’s reign.

The Core of the Conflict: Royal Lodge and Delayed Action

The primary point of contention cited by the King’s camp revolves around Royal Lodge, Prince Andrew’s sprawling residence in Windsor Great Park. Charles has reportedly long sought to remove Andrew from the property, viewing his continued presence there as an unacceptable symbol of privilege for a non-working royal who settled a high-profile sexual abuse lawsuit.

According to the reports, while Charles advocated for a swift and complete break, Queen Elizabeth II consistently intervened, protecting her second son and ensuring he retained his residence and certain financial allowances, despite his effective banishment from public life.

“It seems to me that Queen Elizabeth has quite a lot to answer for in terms of the Andrew problem,” one source close to the King’s circle reportedly told the newspaper, underscoring the narrative that the current monarch inherited an intractable situation.

Key Areas of Alleged Disagreement

King Charles’s reported frustration stemmed from several key decisions made during his mother’s final years:

• Royal Lodge Residence: The Queen allowed Andrew to remain in the 30-room mansion, despite the enormous cost of upkeep, which Andrew is reportedly struggling to finance following the loss of the Sovereign Grant funding.
• Financial Support: While Andrew lost his official income, the Queen reportedly ensured his financial stability through private means, preventing the complete financial pressure Charles believed was necessary to force a resolution.
• Delay in Title Removal: Although Andrew was stripped of his military affiliations and royal patronages in January 2022, the Queen resisted calls to fully strip him of his title as Duke of York, a move Charles is now reportedly considering.

Context: The Prince Andrew Crisis Timeline

The crisis began in earnest following Prince Andrew’s disastrous 2019 interview with BBC Newsnight, where he attempted to defend his relationship with Epstein and deny allegations made by Virginia Giuffre.

This led to a rapid sequence of events that permanently altered his role within the monarchy:

1. November 2019: Andrew steps back from public duties following the widespread public backlash to the Newsnight interview.
2. August 2021: Virginia Giuffre files a civil lawsuit in the U.S. alleging sexual abuse by Andrew when she was a minor.
3. January 2022: Queen Elizabeth II strips Andrew of his military titles and royal patronages. He is forbidden from using the style His Royal Highness in any official capacity.
4. February 2022: Andrew reaches an out-of-court settlement with Giuffre for an undisclosed sum, effectively ending the legal threat but confirming his status as a non-working royal.

Despite the settlement, the ongoing financial and residential issues—particularly the cost and optics of Royal Lodge—have kept the scandal alive, forcing Charles to address a problem he reportedly believes should have been decisively concluded years ago.

The Strategic Rationale Behind the Blame Shift

For King Charles III, who is focused on streamlining the monarchy and ensuring its financial stability and public trust, the continued presence of Prince Andrew as a financial and reputational liability is problematic. The decision by his camp to leak this narrative serves several strategic purposes:

1. Protecting the New Reign’s Image

By framing the issue as an inherited problem rooted in the late Queen’s personal decisions, Charles’s team attempts to convey that the current King is a modernizer who prioritizes institutional integrity over familial sentiment. This aligns with his stated goal of a smaller, more efficient monarchy.

2. Justifying Future Hardline Action

If Charles decides to take the final step of forcing Andrew out of Royal Lodge or further reducing his status, the narrative that he is correcting his mother’s past mistakes provides political cover and justifies the severity of the action to the public.

3. Managing Public Perception of the Monarchy

The monarchy relies heavily on public trust. By suggesting that the delay in resolving the crisis was due to the unique, personal circumstances of a mother protecting her son—rather than institutional weakness—the current administration seeks to reassure the public that the institution is now under stricter, more accountable management.

Key Takeaways

The report signals a significant public relations strategy by King Charles III’s inner circle to manage the enduring Prince Andrew crisis:

• The Claim: Charles’s camp is reportedly blaming the late Queen Elizabeth II for the protracted nature of the Prince Andrew scandal.
• The Reason: The Queen’s maternal protection allegedly prevented Charles from taking decisive action, such as forcing Andrew out of Royal Lodge, when he was still the Prince of Wales.
• The Source: The claims originate from sources close to the King, reported in The Sunday Times.
• The Implication: This narrative sets the stage for King Charles to take potentially harsher measures against his brother, justifying them as necessary corrections to inherited problems.

What’s Next for Prince Andrew?

The immediate focus remains on Royal Lodge. With the narrative of inherited difficulty established, the pressure on Prince Andrew to vacate the property—potentially moving to the smaller Frogmore Cottage—is expected to intensify. The King’s desire to resolve this issue permanently underscores his commitment to preventing any non-working royal from becoming a financial burden or a source of negative publicity for the Crown.