Since his arrest, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been holed up at the King’s Norfolk estate, with the monarch in control of much of his now mundane day-to-day life
Since his arrest last month, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been holed up at the King’s Norfolk estate of Sandringham, as he keeps a low profile in his temporary home of Wood Farm. The disgraced royal hasn’t been seen since he was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office, and was driven back to Sandringham after spending 11 hours in police custody.
With his daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson also keeping out of the spotlight, Andrew’s lonely life has been confined to the cottage where his father, the late Prince Philip, lived out his final days.
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When he was released from the Aylsham Police Station on the evening of his 66th birthday, Thames Valley Police confirmed that the former prince was officially under investigation, as they looked into claims that Andrew had passed on confidential information to Jeffrey Epstein during his time as trade envoy to the UK.
Now, as the investigation remains ongoing, Andrew is passing the days in solitude, with King Charles imposing several rules on his younger brother to not exacerbate his situation, while fearing what may be coming next for the former prince.
In just a few short weeks, the monarchy has been upturned by Andrew’s arrest, and while the Firm is still reeling from the fallout, Andrew’s lonely life in Sandringham has remained the same.
King Charles snub
Last week, Charles spent several days on the Norfolk estate, and despite being just a few miles away from where his younger brother is holed up, he did not stop in for a visit. Instead, Charles attended a Sunday church service at St Mary Magdalene Church, meeting with a member of the clergy after walking the short distance from Sandringham House.
Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond believes that Charles’ avoidance of Andrew was strategic, as to not further fuel speculation about the investigation into the former prince, or the help he is receiving from his family.
Jennie told the Mirror : “Fortunately, the Sandringham estate is so vast that Charles can easily stay in the big house and be in very little danger of running into his brother. I’m sure he knows that being seen with Andrew would invite all sorts of speculation about whether he was offering him support (which would go down very badly with the public) or further admonishment.”
The royal expert added that while it is unknown if Andrew is speaking to his brother at all, it is unlikely to be in person. She said: “So if there is any communication between them, it would be far better done through correspondence or phone calls.”
Strict rules
In the weeks after his arrest, it was reported that King Charles has placed several rules on Andrew if he is to be staying on the Sandringham estate. The disgraced royal has allegedly been told he is not allowed to go out horse riding, something he did often while living at Royal Lodge, as it’s considered a “bad look” in the wake of the investigation.
Additionally, Andrew has been informed that he cannot leave the Sandringham estate without permission and a chaperone, and any visitors to his home must also be approved in advance.
After the rules were imposed, the former prince was visited by Lord Chamberlain of the Royal household Richard Benyon, the most senior member of the household, for several hours before he was spotted leaving Wood Farm.
Jennie believes that the visit may have been organised by the King, who is keeping his younger brother at an arm’s length. She said: “There are a number of courtiers who could deal with Andrew, and it may be that Lord Chamberlain was sent to sort out a few things on the King‘s behalf.
“We shall probably never know what lay behind Lord Chamberlain‘s visit, but I think it suggests that the relationship between Charles and his brother is now strictly formal and decidedly distant.”
Charles’ grim question
With the investigation into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor still ongoing, Jennie Bond believes the entire Royal Family, in particular King Charles, would be living in fear about any new allegations that may come to light.
There is seemingly no end in sight for Andrew’s ongoing scandal, as more and more Epstein files continue to be released by the US government, no doubt leaving the monarch wondering what may be coming next, as he prepares to help police with their investigation into his younger brother.
“There must still be many questions that the King would like answered,” Jennie said. “He has thrown open the doors of Buckingham Palace for the police investigation to be as thorough as possible. And I’m sure he would appreciate some advanced knowledge of what might be found – if anything.
“So far, the Palace has only learned what’s in the Epstein files at the same time as the rest of us, and that has made it very difficult for them to keep ahead of the story.”
