Meghan and Harry’s return to Britain has sparked divided reactions, to say the least. Relatives, friends and the public all seem to have a view on the surprise homecoming –and plenty of it isn’t flattering.
But one figure is, we’re told, especially incensed that the couple appear to be welcomed back from America with no consequences after the pointed criticism they’ve aimed at the royal Family since 2020.
That person, insiders claim, is disgraced former Prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. He’s said to be livid that Harry and Meghan can seemingly stroll back into King Charles’ favour, while he feels he’s been cast aside for – as he still sees it – far less.
An insider tells us, ‘As usual, Andrew is throwing a fit and saying he’s being treated poorly by his brother Charles. His Majesty has helped him financially, but somehow, it’s still not enough. For Andrew, though, this is about more than money; it’s about the total lack of respect he feels his brother and the rest of the family is showing him. The fact that he’s been punished and banished, while the red carpet is being rolled out for Harry and Meghan, has left him feeling very hard done by.’
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Among the allegations Harry has directed at his family and the institution, he has claimed the family colluded against Meghan and leaked stories to the press. In Spare, he also alleged that William once physically attacked him.
Andrew is now based at Marsh Farm on the Sandringham Estate, after being moved out of Royal Lodge, Windsor, in February, where he had lived largely rent-free for two decades. Charles, who owns Sandringham, paid for renovations ahead of Andrew’s relocation to the five-bedroom house.
Andrew’s fall from grace came after years of controversy surrounding his links to the late paedophile and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, along with allegations by Virginia Giuffre, which he has always denied.
In October 2025, Giuffre’s posthumous autobiography alleged Andrew sexually abused her on three occasions when she was 17. She died by suicide in April 2025, aged 41. The book increased pressure on the royal family, and Charles began taking steps to remove Andrew’s titles. Since then, Andrew has faced additional scrutiny over claims relating to his conduct while serving as a UK trade envoy.
Even so, it appears Andrew believes Harry is the one who has truly harmed the monarchy’s standing. Our source explains, ‘He says he’s never put the family down the way Harry and Meghan have. He doesn’t understand how they can be forgiven for airing the family’s dirty laundry, and yet here he is, excluded and blocked when he’s never once set out to harm the family the way they’ve done.
He accepts that he made mistakes in terms of his choice of his friendships, but he doesn’t feel it’s fair that he’s banished for the rest of his life while these two get to waltz back in.’
For Andrew, the speed at which royal favour shifts may be hard to stomach. Not long ago, the family appeared united in condemnation of Harry and Meghan’s public attacks; now the couple seem to be welcomed back while he remains sidelined.
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‘Andrew was right in the thick of it when Harry and Meghan were at the most treacherous. It really wasn’t all that long ago that everyone, including the King, was adamant that they’d never get another chance, and now here they are, suddenly back in the UK, as though all is forgiven. Andrew is appalled, and not simply because he’s now found himself on the outside looking in. But he insists it’s the stress and suffering they caused the late Queen and Prince Philip in the final years of their lives that he just can’t forgive,’ says our source.
Queen Elizabeth never publicly rebuked Harry and Meghan, but Andrew remained fiercely loyal to her, according to the insider. ‘Andrew has always been incredibly protective of his mother. She may not have condemned Harry and Meghan for the things they said and did, but Andrew believes she should have. But he’s still so angry on her behalf, and he says he can’t believe his brother Charles would blight her memory by allowing his traitorous son and daughter-in-law to slither back in.’
It’s not just Harry’s ‘return’ that reportedly grates – it’s also the sense that Harry has little time for his uncle.
‘Harry has not said anything outright, but it’s well known that he has zero respect for his uncle,’ our insider confides. “If he and Meghan had shown Andrew even a shred of support, he’d probably be singing a different tune, but they’ve been very pointedly icing him out for a while now. The disrespect really bothers Andrew, and to add insult to injury, they’re closer than ever to his daughters. Andrew doesn’t doubt that they’re encouraging Eugenie and Beatrice to avoid him too, which only adds to his fury.’
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So could Andrew try to leverage William to improve his own position – and perhaps use that alliance to pressure Charles? We hear it’s not impossible that Andrew might push for a joint approach, especially given that William is widely believed to be in no mood to forgive Harry.
The source says, ‘This is probably the singular thing that Andrew would side with William on right now. He’s said he’d be willing to speak to his Majesty alongside William to appeal to him, which says a lot considering how unforgiving William has been to him.’
We’re told Andrew ‘refuses to stay banished after this’ and may see cooperation with William as his best chance to edge the door open again.
Whether William would ever entertain that is uncertain. A family friend told the BBC, ‘William is very stubborn. To feel cheated by your own brother has been painful. He can’t just put it behind him.’
By contrast, last year Harry told the BBC, ‘I would love reconciliation with my family. There’s no point in continuing to fight any more.’
For now, Queen Elizabeth II’s sons and grandsons look entrenched on opposite sides, with little overlap between them. With so many famously stubborn personalities involved, the question is who, if anyone, is willing to shift first.