The disgraced former duke has been completely cut out from royal life, but sources say he is still trying to cling on to his connections – and his plans involve his daughters
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been keeping a remarkably low profile since being exiled to Norfolk, but while outsiders might assume his new desire for privacy stems from shame over the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, insiders insist that is far from the case.
According to a royal expert, the disgraced former prince has no plans to walk away from his royal connections. In fact, it’s said he actually feels hard done by.
His focus has apparently shifted to Beatrice and Eugenie, as he relies on them to maintain some semblance of the former House of York. King Charles is known to be genuinely fond of his nieces, and sources say Andrew is determined to keep them front and centre of the Royal Family so they stay relevant.
One such example appeared to take place when Beatrice and Eugenie arrived at the recent wedding of Peter Phillips and Harriet Sperling. Rather than making a discreet arrival to avoid photographers like other guests, they chose to walk down the public road, accompanied by their husbands.
Just days before the event, a National Audit Office report into royal residences sparked outrage about the sisters’ living arrangements. It revealed that not only are both princesses charged under the market rent for their royal homes, but that they don’t even pay the rent themselves. Instead it’s their uncle Charles picking up the bill.
The sisters were reportedly in two minds about whether to attend the nuptials at all, but Andrew is said to have been the mastermind behind this ‘gesture of defiance’. According to a recent report in the Mail, Andrew emailed them from his new home, Marsh Farm, urging them to go and “hold their heads high.”
Andrew Lownie, a royal author and historian who wrote a biography on the Yorks, tells the Mirror that Andrew would have “absolutely” encouraged the move, adding: “He doesn’t think they’ve done anything wrong”.
In his view, the ex-duke would have wanted his daughters to show that they are “fighters” and “princesses of blood” who “should be treated properly”.
“I think Eugenie and Beatrice feel the same,” Lownie claims. “They just take it as natural that they should be able to support Saudi businesses and be paid to attend events. That’s what they’ve done all their lives, and they don’t see why that should change.
“They’re not seeming too affected by this,” he adds. “I think most people would go quietly under a stone and let the whole kind of crisis pass when they just seem to be embracing it.”
Despite his fall from grace, it’s claimed that Andrew is still harbouring grand ideas and is fiercely pushing for his daughters to retain their titles, despite the fact that he and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson were unceremoniously stripped of theirs in October 2025.
Various royal sources – including Lownie’s – say that Andrew insists that his three remaining members of staff must continue to use his old titles. In an astonishing speech to staff, the former prince reportedly said that he would ‘damn well’ continue to be called by his ‘correct titles’ in his own house – until they ‘send a vampire to suck out every drop of royal blood in my veins’.
“He’s doing that to big himself up in front of the Middle Eastern guys,” Lownie claims, having spoken to sources about Andrew’s title demand. “[They] are saying, ‘Don’t be such a wimp. You’re a prince and nothing can take that away from you.’ He’s still doing business in the Middle East and that’s part of why the princesses keep their titles.
“That’s all part of the job description. He has no sense of his own status except through this, but I think that it’s the Middle Eastern rulers who stiffen the sinews a bit.”
Whether his masterplan will come to fruition remains doubtful. The King, while fond of his nieces and reportedly paying their rent on their London homes, is also notoriously crisis-adverse and keen to avoid confrontation.
The monarch seemingly avoided spending time with the sisters at Peter’s wedding. Both her and Queen Camilla were already seated inside the church by the time Beatrice and Eugenie arrived, avoiding any public conversations.
And as soon as the service was over, the King and Queen whisked away by helicopter to attend the Epsom Derby in their capacity as joint patrons of The Jockey Club. A source told the Mail: “Beatrice and Eugenie’s hopes to lobby the King were dashed by this rapid exit.”
Lownie tells us that Charles “may be stubborn” but “possesses a more non-confrontational personality type”, which presents a stark contrast to his younger brother Andrew.
On whether the King needs to be more directly confrontational with his brother, Lownie says: “I think he would be more popular if he was. When he is ruthless with Andrew, people like it and it makes him look strong. The danger is he’s buffeted at the moment between various people. My understanding is that Charles’s view is ‘let’s just keep the tensions low.'”
Fuelling Andrew’s arrogant stance is his belief he has been used as a scapegoat and that the King has ‘exceeded his authority’ by kicking him out. “He is beginning to fight back,” a source shared.
One of his primary objectives, sources suggest, is chasing down hundreds of thousands of pounds from the Crown Estate after he was forced out of Royal Lodge. Under his original leasing agreement, he could receive over £301,000 for an early surrender of the property.
However, it has been said that it is highly unlikely he will receive any money with the extensive dilapidation costs and required repairs to the property likely to cancel out any payout.
On whether Andrew is looking for revenge or a way back, Lownie says: “It would certainly fit with his character. I think he feels that he’s been thrown to the wolves and in defence of his mother who he also thinks has been thrown under the bus.
“So there’s possibly danger. He’s always been very loyal to the institution, but he didn’t like Camilla. He was rude about Kate. Anyone who’s rumbled him, he doesn’t like. I think it’s only two allies at the moment are Edward and Anne.”
The former duke is also said to be demanding a payout for his ex-wife Sarah, who was also thrown out of the Windsor property.
Fergie completely disappeared from public view when the Epstein scandal erupted and is relying on rich pals to help her hide out abroad. She is said to be feeling “incredibly betrayed” by members of the royal family.
And she will certainly be finding it hard to have lost all the lavish trappings of royal life. According to reports last year, she had set her sights on moving into William and Kate’s old home, Adelaide Cottage, as her time at Royal Lodge was coming to an end. Instead, she was left with nothing.
According to Lownie, Fergie isn’t going away quietly. “All I’m hearing is she’s fighting back. She’s been talking to PR people, she’s been talking to bankers – a lot of people who were dealing with her don’t want to anymore – she’s trying to find new bankers who will find her a deal.
Of her plans, the author claims: “She’s allegedly nosying around the Middle East hoping there’s something there for her. She is supposed to be writing a book with a mate of hers.”
The scandal seems to have come between Andrew and Fergie, who once described them as ‘the happiest divorced couple in the world ‘. It’s said that while the exes are technically still on speaking terms, they are “not talking that much”.
Sarah, 66, hasn’t been seen in public for months now, with previous reports placing her at locations varying from Ireland to Dubai and the States.
A friend described the ex-duchess as being on a ‘secret sofa-surfing world tour’ which has seen her moving from the home of one loyally discreet friend to another. She is also said to be in possession of three burner phones as she continues to hide out.
Her ability to remain in hiding for so long is said to be thanks to the kindness of loyal, wealthy friends, upon whom she is now wholly reliant. According to a source, there are a number of people – including some well-known names – that are still quietly faithful to Fergie and wealthy enough to house her. But they want to keep that connection to the disgraced ex royal completely under wraps.
“She’s clearly got friends who are accommodating her. That is the danger, that she just potentially can’t control her spending,” Lownie claims.
