by POOL / Andrew Matthews
IMPORTANT POINTS
- Prince Andrew will no longer be able to use the suite of rooms at Buckingham Palace, according to reports
- The suite housed Prince Andrew’s royal apartment and office
- He retired from public duties in 2019 amid his controversial connection to Jeffrey Epstein
King Charles II has reportedly booted his younger brother Prince Andrew out of Buckingham Palace, according to reports.
An anonymous royal insider told Entertainment Tonight that the 62-year-old son of the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip can no longer use the suite of rooms at the London-based palace, which previously housed his royal apartment and office. International Business Times could not independently confirm this information.
King Charles III reportedly removed Prince Andrew’s access from that part of the royal residence, according to the source.
The insider added that it was surprising that the Duke of York was able to retain these privileges years after stepping back from royal duties.
Prince Andrew stepped back from public duties in November 2019 amid his controversial association with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
But despite a report by The Sun claiming that Prince Andrew had been “kicked out”, ET reported that he did not use the palace suite and is still staying at the Royal Lodge in Windsor with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson.
The outlet also reported that there are no plans to evict the Duke of York from these living quarters at this time. As for Prince Andrew’s security, it remains unclear how it will be handled in the future.
An unnamed source also told The Sun that the disgraced royal has been told he can no longer use the suite of rooms at Buckingham Palace.
“The King has made it clear that Buckingham Palace is no place for Prince Andrew,” the insider told the paper. “First his office closed last year and now his bedroom. Andrew loved having a suite at Buckingham Palace where he was not only set up for married life with Sarah Ferguson, but used it as a bachelor pad after his divorce.”
In February 2022, Prince Andrew settled Virginia Giuffre’s sexual assault lawsuit against him for an undisclosed amount.
Giuffre alleged that she was trafficked by Epstein and forced to have sex with Prince Andrew on three occasions when she was 17. The royals have repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
Shannon Felton Spence, a public relations expert, moderator and speaker, told Fox News Digital that she believes Prince Andrew is unlikely to regain his royal status and get “support from the top” to rebuild his reputation.
“The King and Prince of Wales [Prince William] know how harmful he is and they made it known even before the Queen’s death that they would not tolerate him or entertain any return to public life,” she explained.
She added that she believes King Charles’ plans for the future of the monarchy do not include the Duke of York. The monarch had always wanted to slim down the institution to cut costs.
“This is all about whether Andrew can regain his status. He can’t and won’t, regardless of the coronation,” she suggested.
King Charles’ coronation will be held on May 6 at Westminster Abbey in London.
During the ceremony, the king will be crowned together with his wife, Queen Consort Camilla.
