Prince Andrew and Prince William are pictured at the Duchess of Kent’s funeral(Image: Samir Hussein/WireImage)
Prince William won’t tolerate Prince Andrew “living it up” in his property a stone’s throw from his own family’s “forever home,” it has today been suggested.
The Prince and Princess of Wales are expected to move into Forest Lodge in Windsor Great Park within the next few weeks, ahead of schedule, in a development described as “a fun start” for their children; 12-year-old Prince George, Princess Charlotte, ten, and seven-year-old Prince Louis.
But it is close to Andrew’s crumbling Royal Lodge – his lease of which reportedly doesn’t expire until 2078 – and experts believe this is a matter of concern for the future king. William is expected to lead “huge change” during his monarchy and insiders have suggested Andrew, the Duke of York, should be wary of this.
Sarah Vine, a newspaper columnist, wrote this week: “I can’t say for certain, of course, but I don’t imagine Prince William – or for that matter, the Princess of Wales – has much time for friends and associates of known sex traffickers. And given that they have decided to make Windsor their ‘forever home’, are they really going to tolerate Bad Uncle Andrew living it up next door?
“They will want to put some serious distance between themselves and this whole stink, and that might not bode well for the Duke, especially if his brother is no longer around to shield him. Who knows what Prince William will do.”
READ MORE: Meghan Markle hits out at backlash for defying ‘blanket ban’ in place after ‘H’s mom’READ MORE: Prince Andrew accuser ‘to claim royal thanked her and saw sex as his birthright’
The Princess and Prince of Wales are set to move home(Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Andrew and William appeared in serious conversation at the last public function they both attended, the Duchess of Kent’s funeral in September. The Duke of York, 65, seemed to be pictured laughing at the ceremony, while William looked visibly uncomfortable and embarrassed.
William and Kate, both 43, are thought to be keen to move to Forest Lodge following a series of family challenges marring the end of their time at Adelaide Cottage, a cosy four-bedroom in Berkshire. Queen Elizabeth II died within weeks of them moving in, the release of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s vitriolic Netflix series, and Prince Harry’s scathing memoir called Spare followed.
Wills and Kate intend to remain in Forest Lodge even after they accede to the throne(Image: Getty Images)
But now Andrew’s antics – the latest of which include allegedly telling Jeffrey Epstein they were “in this together” in an email sent after he claimed to have cut contact with the paedophile – have caused more royal scandal. While the Prince of Wales didn’t refer to anyone – or anything – in particular in the chat with Schitt’s Creek star Eugene Levy, the future king’s words have led to chatter among royal experts, such as Ms Vine.
She added: “If the Andrew situation isn’t resolved while his kind, rather gentle, indulgent and thoughtful brother is in charge, it will have to be resolved under King Charles’s successor.
“He (Andrew) can either carry on acting like the arrogant, deluded toff he’s been all his life, or take a long hard look in the mirror, and make the right choice for once.”
Prince Andrew has always strenuously denied any wrongdoing.