The Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson drama has been bad for a while. In fact, it’s been so bad for so long that, for a while, it seemed like it couldn’t even get worse. And then, new information came out. There were Sarah Ferguson’s leaked emails published on the Mail on Sunday apologizing to Epstein for publicly condemning him. Then there was new information about Prince Andrew visiting Epstein’s Island. So, of course, people were really interested in how the royal family would react.
It was just days ago, after all, that Prince Andrew was photographed with members of the royal family at the funeral of the Duchess of Kent. But the situation has developed quickly, and now new reports indicate that the King has told his brother and Sarah Ferguson that they will not be welcome at the family’s Christmas celebrations this year. Despite Prince Andrew’s troubles and the fact that he is no longer a working royal, he continued to attend family gatherings, including Christmas celebrations.
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The Times is reporting the King is set to keep both at arm’s length after the new revelations and would prefer the two to be “invisible” at future gatherings. Last year, King Charles reportedly asked Sarah Ferguson for help convincing Andrew to “do the decent thing” and stay away from the royal family’s Christmas gathering after reports of his close relationship with alleged Chinese spy, Yang Tengbo.
Back then, a source close to the King said, “You can’t sack someone from being your brother. But this year, if the duke and duchess were both to be as honourable [as last year], it would be very much for the best and the family would not be disappointed, not least to avoid the King having to make any more difficult decisions.”
Reportedly, the King isn’t looking to completely banish his brother, just make sure he isn’t seen in public with the family, according to a family friend. “The King is not of the mind to banish someone worshipping at church or attending family occasions like a funeral. But he would hope they would find a more discreet way of attending these events. In the Duke of York’s case, he seems to relish the prospect of not being low-key about it.”
And that is precisely the problem that could force the King to make decisions. RadarOnline recently reported that King Charles wanted both his brother and Sarah Ferguson removed from Royal Lodge following the new revelations about their ties to Epstein, calling it the “final straw” for the couple.
“The king feels deeply that Royal Lodge cannot remain a sanctuary for the Duke and Duchess of York. After everything that has come out, he wants them out. It’s not just about optics anymore – it’s about trying to preserve the integrity of the monarchy,” one insider said.
It looks like consequences are finally coming for Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, and though it’s not the consequences they probably deserve, at least this time their association with Epstein isn’t just being completely ignored.
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