Ever since Prince Charles broke protocol and insisted his sister Princess Anne walk by his side at their father’s funeral, the often-rivalrous siblings have been closer than ever.
Sources reveal to Woman’s Day the duo are especially united when it comes to their disgraced brother Prince Andrew.
Now more than ever it seems their patience is fast running out for the embattled Duke of York, 62.
“There’s a feeling at the palace that they must keep Andrew happy.”
(Image: Getty)Just last week, further details of his car-crash Newsnight interview regarding his controversial relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and his denial against claims he had sex with then underage Virginia Giuffre emerged, revealing that Andrew and his team were “thrilled” with his responses to hard-hitting presenter Emily Maitlis post-filming.
Producer Sam McAlister, who spent 10 years bringing interviews to life for the BBC, claimed Andrew was smiling and appeared so pleased with his performance he offered her and the team a guided tour of the royal residence.
It’s a far cry from the outrage and critical headlines from international media who almost universally agreed Andrew’s interview was nothing short of a disaster.
Andrew and his team were “thrilled” with his infamous interview responses post-filming.
(Image: BBC)Palace insiders now divulge, “Charles and Anne were vociferously against him doing an interview in the first place.”
Making matters worse for Charles, 73, and Anne, 71, is that it appears Andrew will be kept in the royal fold and continue to enjoy his life of luxury.
“There’s a feeling at the palace that they must keep Andrew happy to avoid him ‘doing a Harry’ and sitting down with Oprah or God forbid writing a tell-all book,” explains a source, who says unfortunately there are also concerns that decision could backfire further down the line.
Charles and Anne aren’t happy with their mother’s favouritism.
(Image: Getty)In what has raised a lot of eyebrows recently, Andrew still holds the role of personal aide-de-camp to the Queen, despite being stripped of his HRH and military titles earlier this year.
After the backlash to his “front and centre” appearance alongside the Queen at Prince Philip’s memorial, sources say it was “a blessing” that a positive COVID test kept him away from the Queen’s jubilee celebrations.
“It’s as though he expects to carry on as usual and it’s incredibly frustrating for Charles and Anne, who are trying to focus on the future of the royal family upon the Queen’s inevitable departure from this world,” adds the insider.
A palace source explains that unfortunately there’s “no doubt” that Harry and Meghan’s games with the media have “somewhat traumatised the royals”, but that Charles and Anne aren’t willing to bow down so easily when it comes to their younger brother who brought shame to the family.
“Everyone seems to be turning a blind eye to his boldness.”
(Image: Getty)“They think it’s crucial the Queen makes it clear to her ‘favourite son’ what he can and can’t do in terms of public appearances because the lines are blurred,” adds the source.
“Everyone seems to be turning a blind eye to his boldness, but it has to be addressed and Charles and Anne are united in making sure there are no more red faces when it comes to Andrew. They only want him stopped to ensure no further damage to the Queen’s legacy.”
