The disgraced former Duke of York faces faces further humiliation, as his closest family members are reportedly preparing to distance themselves from him, particularly if he relocates to the Highlands
Disgraced Prince Andrew is facing calls for more action to be taken against him(Image: Getty Images)
King Charles is reportedly planning to send Prince Andrew to a remote castle in the Scottish highlands following the former duke relinquishing his title.
The disgraced royal faces further humiliation after the posthumous release of Virginia Giuffre’s book, which details her claims that she was forced to have sex with Andrew three times by convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Last week, Andrew announced he will no longer be using his Duke of York and Earl of Inverness titles, along with other honours, though he technically retains them, as only an Act of Parliament can formally strip him of them.
Andrew is facing fresh allegations that he instructed his team to dig up information on Giuffre, who tragically took her own life earlier this year at 41. He has consistently denied any wrongdoing and maintains that he never met her.
King Charles is facing pressure to act further against his brother, though sources suggest he has reached the limits of what he can do. Reports now suggest the monarch is attempting to convince Andrew to relocate to the Castle of Mey in the Highlands.
The castle, which is located in Caithness in the far north of Scotland, was bought by the Queen Mother in the 1950s. It is opened to the public throughout the year, however, King Charles and Queen Camilla often spend time there in the summer before heading to Balmoral.
In his memoir Spare, Prince Harry recalled that Meghan Markle sang to seals during a visit to the castle and later fell pregnant with Prince Archie, making him believe his wife was “magic.”
The Castle of Mey is located in the far north of Scotland (Image: GettyImages)
Writing in the Daily Mail, royal author Andrew Lownie, whose book Entitled on Andrew and Sarah Ferguson included explosive claims about the couple, said Fergie’s loyalty to her ex-husband will not extend to moving to Scotland if “the prince is persuaded to relocate to the Castle of Mey.”
Lownie points out that the castle is only six miles from John O’Groats, which despite its romantic image as a northeastern landmark is “nothing to write home about,” adding that is “consists of little more than drab council housing, a sports park and a shop”.
He also points out: “…it’s so grim that in 2010 it received a ‘Carbuncle Award’ from Urban Realm magazine for being ‘Scotland’s most dismal town’.”
The past few years have taken a toll on Andrew’s children, Eugenie, left, and Beatrice (Image: UK Press via Getty Images)
John O’Groats is a small village with a population of around 300. While it is a well-known tourist spot as one of the two farthest points on mainland Britain, alongside Land’s End, it has also been described as a “seedy tourist trap.”
Lownie suggests Andrew is unlikely to remain there and is spending less time at Royal Lodge on the Windsor Estate. He also predicts the prince will eventually settle somewhere other than Scotland, writing: “…it’s more likely that Air Miles Andy would end up somewhere like Abu Dhabi where he has a standing offer of the use of a salubrious palace courtesy of the ruling house of Nahyan.
“It’s also a place where he could rely on being able to book one of those massages that he’s become so fond of over the years.”
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Additionally Lownie claimed that Andrew’s two children, Beatrice and Eugenie, have “had counselling to deal with the various scandals their parents have been involved in.” He also said there “are rumours they are having much less contact with their father than they once did”.
All eyes will be on Sandringham this Christmas, with Lownie noting that if the couple opts to attend the Norfolk celebrations instead of visiting their parents, “it will show that Andrew and Fergie have been disowned by the only two people they could once rely on for unconditional support”.