King Charles ‘Paying the Price’ for Queen Elizabeth’s 'Weak Spot' for Andrew: 'She Indulged Him'
King Charles finds himself grappling with the fallout of his brother’s past ties with Jeffrey Epstein. Commenting on the same, royal insider Roya Nikkah recently argued that the scandal surrounding Prince Andrew weighs heavily on the monarch’s reign, and he has his mother to blame. According to her, the 'Andrew issue' is not a new problem but rather one that stems from decisions made by the late Queen Elizabeth II. Reportedly, her deep affection for the 65-year-old Prince often clouded her judgment and is now causing significant complications for her successor.
At the center of the matter lies Royal Lodge, a Grade II listed residence within Windsor Great Park. Andrew cannot be legally evicted from the property because of a 'watertight' lease. His continued stay at the 30-room Estate despite being stripped of his titles has painted Charles as a weak King, with many accusing him of 'brotherly bias.'
Nikkah argues this 'weak spot' for Andrew goes back to his disastrous BBC Newsnight interview in 2019, after which the late Queen approved his withdrawal from royal duties but let him keep his royal titles. Additionally, as per TIME, in 2022, when Andrew reached a $16 million settlement with his accuser, Virginia Giuffre, the Queen and Charles helped him pay the amount. Although the Queen subsequently asked her son to surrender his ‘HRH’ style, military honors, and patronages, she still didn't strip him of his titles or insist on an alternative residence.
Writing for the Sunday Times, Nikkah noted, "He (Andrew) remained her weak spot, and Charles is now paying the price." A source close to the family allegedly told her, “It seems to me that Queen Elizabeth has quite a lot to answer for. It’s as if she left an unexploded bomb for Charles. The thing about the Queen was that everyone always said she was so dutiful, and she was — but this was a terrible dereliction of duty. She indulged Andrew all the time and always avoided confrontation.”
The consequences of that hesitation have since grown heavier. "While the King, with support from the Prince of Wales, leaned heavily on Andrew last week to voluntarily relinquish his titles and honors, the Duke of Hazard has still not fully bowed to pressure from the monarch. The King has made it clear for more than a year that he wants him out of Royal Lodge," the expert added.
According to property expert Elliot Castle, Andrew’s position is determined by the terms of his long-term lease rather than a conventional tenancy. "If, as reported, the lease terms were set out in 2003 with a significant upfront payment and refurbishment investment, then he would retain security of tenure under those agreed conditions,” he explained. Castle added, "The reference to a 'peppercorn rent' is symbolic — a common feature in long leases where the tenant has paid a large premium up front." If Andrew agrees to end the lease ahead of time, he is expected to receive a sum of £557,595, which is approximately $680,000. In addition to this, he will also receive additional yearly payments till 2028.