EXCLUSIVE: Prince Andrew's pathetic new life in exile - 'shunned by locals and astonishing threat'
With Andrew now being stripped of his titles and forced out of Royal Lodge, royal expert Jennie Bond has questioned how the disgraced royal will cope without the security net of the Firm
After a turbulent few weeks of scandals, rumours and speculation surrounding King Charles’ younger brother Andrew, the disgraced royal has now been stripped of all his titles - including his birthright title of Prince - and evicted from the Royal Lodge which he has called home since 2003.
Andrew has been plagued with controversies for years over his connection with billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, and the claims from Virginia Giuffre that she was trafficked to Andrew when she was just 17, which she reiterated in her recently released posthumous memoir. Andrew has strenuously denied these claims, and continues to deny any wrongdoing.
Despite maintaining his innocence, Andrew has been exiled from the royal family, with reports claiming that he will be sent to live in a private residence on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk at the expense of the King. There is now a suggestion 'he will receive a six-figure payout' to help him with his move, according to The Guardian. But this is a far cry from the last 20 years spent at the 30-room mansion of Royal Lodge, which he shared with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson.
As Andrew adjusts to his new name and residence, former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond believes that he will be plunged into a reclusive life of exile as the royal family rebuild their reputation in the eyes of the public. At the same time, she believes he will be shunned by the Norfolk locals.
She told the Mirror: “It seems to me that Andrew’s life will entail him being even more of a hermit than in recent years, and that’s saying something. The Sandringham estate is vast, some 20,000 acres with about 150 properties, including villages and hamlets. So I suppose Andrew could be part of a new community, although it seems rather doubtful that many communities would welcome him in their midst.
“The King has extended him a modicum of mercy, allowing him to live on his private estate where he will not even indirectly incur any expense to taxpayers. Whether he will have any staff remains to be seen. Can he cook for himself? Has he ever had to sort out the shopping or do the cleaning? The answer is probably no. Perhaps he will now have to learn.”
With Fergie also evicted from the Royal Lodge, she will now have to find her own private accommodation at her own expense, after years of leaning on the financial benefits of the Firm. Reports have indicated that with Andrew and Fergie parting ways, their relationship could be on the rocks.
Jennie said: “I’m surprised that, from all accounts, Sarah is now parting company with her ex-husband after so many years of living in happily divorced togetherness. Perhaps the strain of it all has finally severed their relationship. If she does sort out her own living arrangements, Andrew will be more isolated than ever.”
With Andrew now exiled from the Firm, Jennie believes that the royal family have a huge task ahead of them to rebuild the public’s trust and faith in the monarchy, after years of being tarnished by association with Andrew.
“In my view this has been the biggest Royal crisis since the Abdication,” she said. “Even then, King Edward VIII relinquished the throne because of love - a noble cause, you could argue. Andrew has been stripped of his titles, booted out of his home and publicly humiliated because he has become caught up in a sordid scandal of sex trafficking and child abuse - even though he has consistently denied all the allegations.
“Whatever the truth, the King felt that his brother’s dire lack of judgement – over his continued friendship with Jeffrey Epstein and his decision to lie when questioned about it on the BBC Newsnight programme – deserved to be censured.
“Andrew has sullied the family name, which is now the only name he has, and the poison was seeping into the monarchy’s reputation at home and abroad. The King has acted to protect the monarchy and to show undiluted support for the victims of abuse.”
In the statement from Buckingham Palace about the change to Andrew’s titles, both King Charles and Queen Camilla signed off the announcement with a show of support for victims of abuse, which according to Jennie, shows a significant step in the right direction.
She said: “It is extremely significant that the statement included the views of Camilla as well as the King. She has worked tirelessly to support women and men who have suffered domestic and sexual abuse.
"Quite rightly, she wanted it to be known that her thoughts and sympathies – like the King’s – have always been and remain with those who have suffered any form of abuse.”