Andrew's Biggest Regret After Epstein Scandal Revealed by Staffer: 'My Life Turned Upside Down'
Royal expert Andrew Lownie claims the former Duke of York confided in his aide about his 'deep-rooted sense of being alone in the world.'
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor completely fell out of the royal family's good graces after his controversial ties with Jeffrey Epstein came to light. It cost him his royal titles and family, his residence of 22 years, and it undid his public image completely. Now, living in isolation on the Sandringham estate, he appears to carry some remorse. According to royal expert Andrew Lownie, the disgraced royal admitted to a staff member that his biggest regret was the pain and embarrassment his scandals caused his family.
In the recently updated version of his biography, Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, Lownie lifted the curtains on Mountbatten-Windsor's alleged conversation with his aide. As quoted in the book, the former Prince reportedly mourned, "It's [the fallout] been very hard to deal with. The hardest thing was how it affected my family and put so much burden on them. For that, I'm sorry beyond words, and unfortunately, will have to bear that regret for the rest of my life." He continued, "My life has been turned upside down, and often I feel a deep-rooted sense of being alone in the world. I need to establish new routines and networks. Perhaps I'll end up doing it somewhere else."
Interestingly, the former Duke of York quickly changed his tune, once again victimizing himself. He allegedly scoffed, "Money isn't an issue because I've made some shrewd business deals over the years that afford me a good lifestyle. I've been completely misunderstood, and I'm hopeful that one day the naked truth will finally let out." A source quoted in the book also claimed that, instead of making a positive change in his life, Mountbatten-Windsor squanders his time watching golf and playing Call of Duty rather than focusing on work, health, and hygiene.
In the past, Lownie argued that Mountbatten-Windsor had never really come to terms with his arrest, reportedly unwilling to accept that his actions carried consequences. Speaking to PEOPLE, he stressed, "He [Andrew] has been pampered all the way through his life, in this bubble. Status is everything to him — it's his only sense of identity. They thought they'd be able to operate like this under the radar. They're clearly up to their necks in exploiting their royal status." Speaking of his daughter's current dicey position, he noted, "They're [Beatrice and Eugenie] caught between a rock and a hard place over loyalty to their parents and their future."
