Prince William made ‘mistake’ driving with Andrew says expert

Queen Elizabeth was too “indulgent” with her now-disgraced son Prince Andrew, according to an expert, which has left King Charles with a dilemma over what to do about his younger brother.

Royal historian Marlene Koenig claimed that the late Queen took rather longer than she should have to put Andrew in his place following allegations of sexual assault made about him by Virginia Giuffre and questions over his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.

The Duke of York has always denied the allegations and in 2019 appeared on Newsnight to be interviewed by Emily Maitlis, in a move which he hoped would clear his name.

However his decision backfired spectacularly, and as a result he was forced to step down as a working royal and was stripped of his royal patronages and his HRH title.

The late Queen’s favouritism towards her son has left Charles in a difficult position as he must keep Andrew away from working royal life while not totally excluding him from his family.

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Rumours have been swirling this year that the King wishes for Andrew to leave Royal Lodge, the home he has lived in for 20 years, and plans for him to move into the smaller and now-vacant Frogmore Cottage.

But Andrew has held fast, stating he needs a large property and has paid for several costly repairs to be carried out on the mansion, even as questions have been raised about his financial situation.

It was reported that Charles had worked out a deal with the Duke that he could stay at his Windsor home as long as he could fund more refurbishments that the house needs, which Andrew previously agreed he would as part of his tenancy.

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But as Ms Koenig points out the King actually does not have the power to remove Andrew from Royal Lodge, thanks to the contract he signed when he first moved in.

She told Express.co.uk: “The King does not own it [Royal Lodge]. He cannot kick him out of it because it is owned by the Crown Estate.

“Andrew has a 75 year lease for Royal Lodge. The lease is with the Crown Estate. There were agreements with the lease and he invested his own money to fund major repairs when he acquired the lease after the death of his grandmother. Property needed a lot of work, and he paid for that work.”

Andrew’s ex-wife Sarah Ferguson could also help to keep him in Royal Lodge, as the pair remain close and she even keeps a room there despite them divorcing in 1996.

She has her own income from her various business ventures, which some have speculated could be used to help Andrew pay for the repair work.

Fergie had a mastectomy in the summer after being diagnosed with breast cancer, and her recuperation in Royal Lodge has forced the King to postpone any potential moving out arrangement.

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