Might the King be tempted to rephrase the Sound of Music refrain as ‘How Do You Solve a Problem like Andrew?’
What can he do? Ask the Government to introduce legislation removing his dukedom?
Sign orders removing his Garter and other honours?
Highly unlikely, says my source, as it could place the King under pressure to take exactly the same steps against Prince Harry.
And, the latest farago notwithstanding, Andrew has generally been better behaved than Harry.
Unlike him, Andrew has assured the King of loyalty and that he won’t be penning his memoirs.
Either man could, of course, choose to renounce titles themselves. What are the chances?
Prince Andrew, Duke of York and Prince Charles, Prince of Wales attend the Order of the Garter Service at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle on June 15, 2015 in Windsor, England
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex (wearing a Household Division regimental tie and medals including his Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order cross) attends The Invictus Games Foundation 10th Anniversary Service at St Paul’s Cathedral on May 8, 2024 in London, England
Britain’s Prince Andrew attends the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Westminster Abbey, London, Saturday May 6, 2023
Europe’s newest King, Frederik X of Denmark is abolishing royal warrants.
Compare with King Charles, who has issued hundreds of new warrants, including his preferred maker of besom brooms, a couple of whisky distilleries, a horse dentist, the makers of Ryvita and, in a move that will have the Queen Mother purring on her cloud, Tanqueray gin.
But Prince William has been agitating for reform preferring to encourage new businesses with royal patronage.
Will he follow King Fred and abolish the warrants?
A source reports that the King will be sad not to see Beatrice and Eugenie, pictured, at Sandringham.
Apparently, HM made clear that they would be more than welcome whatever their father decided to do.
The King is particularly fond of them, admiring their balancing of duty with ‘normal’ life.
HM has been determined that the sins of the father shouldn’t extend to the daughters but, for now, they have decided, for Uncle Charles’ sake, they should keep a low profile.
Princess Beatrice of York attends a Christmas Lunch at Buckingham Palace on December 19, 2024 in London, England
Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and Princess Beatrice leave after attending King Charles III’s Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace, London
Matthew Parris names the late Lord Snowdon as the most objectionable guest in his long-running BBC Radio 4 series Great Lives: ‘He chose Alec Issigonis, the designer of the Morris Minor and the Mini, as his hero’, recalls Matthew.
‘He appeared to regret even bothering to come in. Demanding a glass of wine at 2.30 in the afternoon (the BBC had to send somebody out for it), the whole thing evidently bored him. We felt like a diary engagement he regretted making.’
At least Matthew never had to deal with Snowdon’s haughty wife Princess Margaret!
Matthew Parris names the late Lord Snowdon (pictured, right) as the most objectionable guest in his long-running BBC Radio 4 series Great Lives
Sir Richard Carew Pole, who has died aged 85, was beaten only once at Eton, by his captain of house Lord Lucan.
He had two older sisters and on his birth, the nanny was instructed to push the servants bell at the ancestral home in Cornwall once if the baby was a boy and twice for a girl.
‘To everybody’s great excitement and relief,’ he recalled, ‘the bell sounded only once. There were shrieks of delight all round.’
Wallace & Gromit creator Nick Park, recalling his return to the Hollywood Roosevelt hotel after winning his first Oscar for Creature Comforts, was summoned by the manager. ‘Congratulations,’ he said.
‘We want to name a suite after you’. “I thought he meant a pudding,’remembers Nick. ‘I said “Will it be on the menu?”’