Prince Andrew Could Inflict Greater Damage Than Harry and Meghan — If Charles Takes a Critical Step
The royal family may have weathered its fair share of turbulence in recent years, but insiders suggest that King Charles is sitting on a much bigger problem than anything Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have unleashed. This time it comes not from across the Atlantic, but much closer to home, from a couple who have been fueling scandals for the past decade or so.
Royal commentator Richard Kay, writing for the Mail, has warned that the Prince Andrew problem could one day erupt into something even more damaging than Harry’s tell-all memoir Spare or the Sussexes’ highly charged television interviews. “If he is pushed too far, how might Andrew react?” Kay asked, arguing that Charles can't push him too far. “Would he follow his nephew’s lead and write a memoir which could, potentially, be even more devastating for the royals than Prince Harry’s book?” According to him, it’s a scene many in the establishment dread.
Andrew has been a long source of uneasiness within Palace circles, as he has been edging uncomfortably back into public view. His appearance alongside his former wife, Sarah Ferguson, at the Duchess of Kent’s funeral raised eyebrows when he attempted to strike up a conversation with Prince William, only to be met with a cold silence. For everybody watching closely, it was an awkward family moment and a sign of the growing dilemma for the King.
Part of the unease stems from the sense that both Andrew and Ferguson, despite years of scandal, have never been entirely frozen out. Royal author Andrew Lownie has described Fergie as someone who knows "where the bodies are buried." And it explains why she was allowed to hover at the edge of the royal fold, even at her most controversial.
However, she recently tested the limits after being drawn into a fresh controversy following the leak of her 2011 email to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. This had many suggesting that the King might be reaching the end of his patience. “I think Charles will be in despair over this,” veteran royal correspondent Jennie Bond told The Mirror. She pointed out that the King had gone out of his way to include Ferguson after years of exile, particularly during her cancer treatment, showing compassion when many others would not have. But now, she opined, “I can just imagine him with his head in his hands saying to himself, ‘I’ve done all I can, but this really is too much.’”
“There is something uncomfortable about the head of the Church of England refusing to allow someone to say their prayers,” Kay explained, “and that’s before you consider that person is the monarch’s own flesh and blood.” Then there’s the question of Andrew’s mental health. Omid Scobie’s book Endgame revealed that during the height of Andrew’s scandal, Charles was moved to tears over fears for his brother’s state of mind. For all his failings, Andrew is still considered family, and Charles is said to carry a deep sense of responsibility for his well-being.