King Charles ‘overruled Prince William and ordered Royal Family to welcome Prince Andrew back into the fold’
King Charles has brushed aside Prince William by welcoming the disgraced Duke of York back into the fold of the royal family, it is reported.
It comes as Prince Andrew was driven to a church service in Balmoral by the future king, with the Princess of Wales taking a backseat, in a move branded a ‘public declaration of togetherness’.
The outing – which was widely photographed – will have been a huge boost for the duke, 63, who is committed to a return to public life.
Sources have now claimed that the monarch is calling on Prince Andrew, who lost his official duties following the Jeffrey Epstein sex scandal, to welcome back into the family – both publicly and privately.
The king has reportedly spoken to his brother on several occasions and decided that while he is not allowed to return as a working royal, he should be welcomed back into the family circle.
King Charles overruled Prince William by welcoming the disgraced Duke of York back into the royal family
The king has reportedly spoken to his brother on several occasions and decided that while he is not allowed to return as a working royal, he should be welcomed back into the family circle.
One claimed Prince William’s “wings were somewhat clipped” following the king’s turnaround, as he didn’t feel like being seen in public with Prince Andrew except during the late Queen’s funeral and coronation of the king.
That’s what a Balmoral insider told me the mirror that confusion had arisen over how Andrew would be traveling to the service in Scotland last Sunday, while the royals are on summer holiday.
They added that traveling with the future king and queen was “more than he could have wished for.”
Both Prince William and King Charles had lobbied the late Queen to strip Andrew of his military titles and charitable support when he paid Virginia Giuffre a massive £12 million after she accused him of sexual assault. He has always denied the allegations.
After making the payment, which meant he avoided a full-blown trial in US court, Prince William reportedly said he would boycott the Garter Parade at Windsor Castle if his uncle was allowed to participate.
The late Queen had reportedly wished her second eldest son would join, but both King Charles and Prince William blocked the move citing fears of a public ‘backlash’.
An insider told the paper that William had no desire to be seen with Prince Andrew in public, apart from events like Christmas at Sandringham and the King’s coronation, even though he continued to spend time with him privately.
Rachael Maskell, Labor MP for York Central, who introduced a bill in parliament to strip the duke of his royal title, denounced the idea of rehabilitating Prince Andrew’s public image.
It was reported last week that Prince Andrew had launched a bid to win back his £3 million a year armed security service
The Duke of York, 63, lost his right to protection after being stripped of his ‘HRH’ title and subsequently removed as a working senior royal
She said: “Any rehabilitation process in terms of a public role for Prince Andrew would be unpalatable, especially if the questionable acts he was accused of involved possible sexual misconduct against vulnerable women.
“We want to ensure that women’s rights are respected and I don’t think we can be confident that these rights would be a priority if Prince Andrew were welcomed back into any public role.”
However, the king is “absolutely determined” that the prince will not return to royal duties, with insiders claiming there will be “no change of course” over his royal status.
A source told the Telegraph earlier this week: “He has always been clear that the Duke is a beloved member of the family, but that doesn’t mean there will be a change of course when it comes to his royal status.”
The Duke of York is said to have been invited by the King as an olive branch for the royal family’s summer vacation to Balmoral.
Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told MailOnline that the photos of Prince Andrew traveling to church with the Welsh were ‘clearly intended to send a ‘message of unity in the family’.
But he insisted this was not a sign that Andrew could return to public duties in any shape or form.
“This is a sad time for the Royal Family on their usual break at Balmoral. She and the nation will soon commemorate a year since the Queen’s death,” Fitzwilliams said.
“We know how close Andrew was to the late Queen. His appearance at the Duke of Edinburgh’s Memorial Service in March 2022, where he physically supported her while she gave him emotional and financial support, caused much controversy.
“It has been reported that his allowance has been reduced. His tenure at Royal Lodge in Windsor, his home, was rumored to be in jeopardy.
“He is also reportedly seeking to regain the police protection he lost when he stepped down from his royal duties.”
But Mr Fitzwilliams added: ‘It is important to stress that there is no possibility, as King Charles and Prince William have always realised, of him returning to public duties in any form.
A look at his non-existent popularity numbers in the polls makes the public mood on this issue very clear.
What is emphasized, however, is harmony on a personal level and it is clear that he and his immediate family, who are also with Balmoral, will greatly appreciate this, especially as the photographs we see today are such a very public statement of togetherness. ‘
William drove a Land Rover Defender with his uncle in the front on his way to church and his wife, the Princess of Wales, in the back. After the service, the passengers switched seats.
The appearance followed revelations that a ‘Tory grandee’ appealed to Home Secretary Suella Braverman at a private function to reinstate Andrew’s £3million-a-year police guards.
The Mail on Sunday said the top Tory “went aside” to Ms Braverman to plead the Duke’s case after he lost his 24-hour armed detectives over the Epstein scandal.
The senior Tory, a knight, is one of several high-profile figures recruited by the Duke, it was reported. Another would have messaged Mrs. Braverman.
It is said that all approaches have been rejected.
Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace declined to comment.