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Prince Andrew has become a “bit of a recluse” amid an ongoing dispute with King Charles over the tenancy of Royal Lodge, a royal commentator has claimed.
Charlotte Griffiths, the editor at large for the Mail on Sunday, offered her views on the stalemate during an episode of Palace Confidential. And she suggested that a new Amazon documentary could make matters worse for the “disgraced” Duke.
It was reported in 2023 that the Duke of York, 64, was finding it difficult to meet the £400,000-a-year upkeep costs of the property. But Charlotte also thinks the Royal Family is finding it “embarrassing” that he’s staying in a “prominent building” following his humiliating Newsnight interview and well-documented ties to Jeffrey Epstein. Andrew has strenously denied any wrongdoing during his time with the convicted sex offender.
Charlotte said: “I think he is trying to keep a low profile because he’s trying to cling on to Royal Lodge, and the last thing he needs is another big round of newspaper articles and you know, a sort of Netflix series.
“Although, actually, I think this one’s Amazon, just dragging it all up again and it is a reminder and it gives ammunition to those that do want to take him out of Royal Lodge.”
Amazon’s ‘A Very Royal Scandal’, which is set to air on September 19, will delve into the events surrounding Andrew’s now-infamous BBC Newsnight interview.
The long-awaited drama, which stars Michael Sheen and Ruth Wilson, promises to “demonstrate the power of journalism through a pivotal moment in British history”.
Charlotte continued: “You know that it’s embarrassing to have a sort of disgraced member of the family in a really prominent building as part of the you know, Royal Estate, so I think he is laying low, but also, I think he might be getting a little bit reclusive.”
King Charles has reportedly been keen to move Andrew into smaller lodgings and cut funding that’s used for the estate’s security. However, the Duke of York signed a 75-year lease in 2003, and the monarch doesn’t have legal grounds to evict him.
Charlotte believes Andrew has “finally got the message” when it comes to staying out of the spotlight, however, as the Firm initially couldn’t “get him to keep a low profile” when he was “sort of exiled” from the Royal Family.
She went on to say: “He kept wanting to be out, didn’t he? And as the years have passed, I think he has suddenly gone, you know, very low profile, to the point of maybe even being a bit of a recluse.”
The editor claimed that Andrew “can’t do anything” and listed some of his current pastimes, including horse riding and “watching flight videos”, showing signs of being “quite lonely and isolated”.
Palace Confidential host Jo Elvin then raised the topic of Andrew’s “bizarre new hobby”, reportedly using an app to track flights around the world and projecting them onto a wall in his home.
Daily Mail Royal Editor Rebecca English said it suggests that the Duke has “not a lot going on” with his social life but added that it may “keep him out of trouble”.
Express.co.uk has contacted the Palace for comment.
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