Princess Anne Remains King Charles' 'Right-Hand Woman' Amid Prince Andrew Scandal
King Charles might've begun his reign with Prince Andrew and Prince Harry on the outs of the royal family, but his sister, Princess Anne, continues to be one of the few people His Majesty can depend on.
BBC's Boxing Day explored the unique bond between the Princess Royal and her eldest sibling, Charles.
Anne described the king as "an actor who comes off stage having done a performance that they really put a lot into. It’s that kind of relief."
Due to their close relationship, the Princess Royal was branded as His Majesty's "right-hand woman."
Although Andrew continues to attend royal gatherings, the Duke of York's reputation took another hit after documents from Jeffrey Epstein's case were unsealed, and it was revealed a woman accused the royal of groping her when she was underage.
OK! previously reported sources close to the Windors believe Andrew will transition into a recluse lifestyle after the news threatened his gradual return to being in the spotlight.
"When it comes to any public role for his brother, there is no way back," a royal insider revealed. "There has always been an agreement that Andrew would be permitted to attend private and family events, as is his right. But not public or official ones. That has not changed."
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A woman referred to as Jane Doe 3 alluded to Epstein's conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell, orchestrating the traumatic moments.
According to Jane Doe 3, the interactions occurred "in London — at Ghislaine Maxwell's apartment — in New York, and on Epstein's private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands (in an orgy with numerous other under-aged girls)."
In the documents, Epstein told the then-teen to "give the prince whatever he demanded," and Maxwell "facilitated Prince Andrew's acts of sexual abuse by acting as a 'madame' for Epstein."
The royals have yet to release a statement, but the Metropolitan Police addressed the news.
"We are aware of the release of court documents in relation to Jeffrey Epstein," they said. "As with any matter, should new and relevant information be brought to our attention, we will assess it. No investigation has been launched."
Andrew was stripped of his HRH status in 2022 after being sued by Virginia Giuffre for abuse and emotional turmoil, but his relatives continue to support him.
"When it comes to family, it is difficult," the pal explained. "But this association is just never going to go away. And that means he [Andrew] has to."
"It’s not really true to say the King is trying to kick him out," a royal insider told an outlet in October of that year.
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Aside from the perception of Andrew, there were whispers of Charles wanting to push the Duke of York out of the Royal Lodge.
"He will have outsourced it to his team. He will be setting them the challenge of rationalizing the properties," the source shared. "That will have been the brief that will have gone out to his team."
"The King is pretty pragmatic," they stated. "He knows his brother has got to have somewhere to live, and he loves his brother, so he was never going to chuck him out on his ear."