Behind the almost perfect facade of the British monarchy, a tense family drama is unfolding, centered on… Andrew's disgrace (Prince Harry should step aside, a rival in the scandals has emerged). According to sources, there is “tension” between King Charles III and Prince William over their approach to their scandal-plagued relative, with tensions reaching a boiling point after the monarch's “angry” phone conversation with his younger brother. As Andrew appears dejected during his rare outings, there's just one warning: the headache for the royal family is far from over.
We have now reached the moment when the English queen was not only restless but had real problems in paradise: Charles III's desire to show paternal pity clashed with William's demand for a complete break with the king's younger brother. Such tension could be the beginning of a tense conflict between the reigning king and his heir.
Now, scenes that make even seasoned royal watchers wince have become notable symbols of Prince Andrew's fall to rock bottom. Once again, we can only remind you that somewhere around here, Prince Harry and his narcissistic wife Meghan Markle (no, no, Meghan of Sussex) gave way.
What really happened? It all started at the Duchess of Kentia's funeral in September, while the disgraced Duke of York tried to strike up a conversation with Prince William on the steps of Westminster Cathedral. The answer was icy silence. The future king looked straight ahead, deliberately ignoring his uncle's presence, thereby giving a clear signal: the relationship was completely destroyed. Just a few weeks later, Andrew's world fell apart. During a ten-minute telephone conversation with a “tired and angry” King Charles III, he was forced to renounce his royal titles and titles. The monarch's humiliated younger brother, after years of protest, has also agreed to vacate his 30-room Royal Lodge, despite a “cast iron” lease that has allowed him to pay virtually no rent for years.
With official royal life behind him, Andrew spent his final days in the Royal Box in a state described by sources as “isolated” and “depressed”. He almost never leaves his residence, wandering around alone and “muttering to himself”. His rare public appearances, such as a recent horseback ride with his companion where he was said to have looked particularly devastated, have only added fuel to the fire. However, body language expert Judy James suggests that this sudden change in behavior may not be genuine sadness but a calculated change of tactics. The “staged” grief was almost theatrical, she said, and may have been Andrew's last attempt to win over the public and his brother after his arrogant protests ultimately failed.
Behind this shared pain of the no longer young Werther lies a deeper crisis – tension between King Charles III and Prince William over how to resolve “the Andrew problem”. According to royal writer Andrew Lowney, the heir to the throne played a key role in “strengthening his father's resolve” to take tough action. Sources said the future king was “dismayed” by the initial softer approach, which only stripped Andrew of his military titles and charitable patronage but left him with the princely title and a luxury residence. Prince William, as they whispered in the court, had long realized that the monarchy had become hostage to a scandal, and believed that in order to ransom millions of pounds and preserve the remaining privileges, Andrew should leave the scene altogether.
However, this pragmatic and uncompromising approach of William's was at odds with his father's more complex, emotional perspective. Biographer Omid Scobie said the king once shed tears because he was worried about his younger brother's mental health.
Scobie wrote: “Charles III is led by his head and heart. Prince William is colder.”
This internal conflict on the part of the king between his monarchical institutional obligations and his family ties provided the basis for strategic disagreements with his son. For William, “Andrew's problem” was a direct threat to the future of the crown that needed to be decisively and thoroughly eliminated. For a king forced to exile his own brother, it was also a personal tragedy.
This difference in approach is evident in their reactions to recent events. The Welsh couple, who live just a few kilometers from Andrew in Forest Lodge, have a certain tolerance towards him, based on a “duty of care”. They understand that he has become “withdrawn, depressed and lonely” and can hardly object to his walks around the park, even if they don't want it on their doorstep. At the same time, the king would find Andrew's new photos extremely unfortunate and distracting from the work of the rest of the family. He is concerned about how such footage – which shows the former prince enjoying leisure rather than charity – affects the image of an already scandal-ridden monarchy.
There is an episode that perfectly illustrates this dilemma for Charles III. The truth is that just before Andrew was stripped of his title, there was a plan whereby the king, returning from a trip to the Vatican, was to pass by the house of the Duke of York so that he could be seen preparing to have a serious conversation with his brother. This carefully planned “visual riot” was intended to demonstrate to the public that the situation was under control. However, at the last moment, the royal palace became worried because it thought the event had become too big and could get out of control, so the king canceled the performance and went straight home.
As the royal family struggles to balance duty and compassion, the headache for Andrew and the monarchy is far from over. The former Duke is facing calls from US lawmakers to testify about his “long friendship” with convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. His upcoming move to the Sandringham estate in Norfolk will not be the final solution to the problem.
One thing is certain: the tension between father and eldest son caused by the Andrew case is a clash between two visions of the monarchy's future: one still burdened by past family ties, and one that seeks ruthless modernization at any cost. And how this conflict is resolved will determine not only the fate of the disgraced prince but also the survival strategy of the institution he has compromised.
