Saying that the royal family cares about their image would be a serious understatement, and
Prince Andrew's sexual assault allegations have thrown the royal system into chaos mode.
Ever since Virginia Giuffre came forward and accused Andrew of sexually assaulting her
when she was 17 — after she had been trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein — the royal family has
been debating Andrew's role in the firm.
The result of this continual debate came through on January 13th, 2022, when Queen Elizabeth
stripped Andrew of his royal and military titles.
Reportedly, both Prince Charles and Prince William were key players in convincing the
queen to take these measures.
But Andrew has long held a special place in Elizabeth's heart, and he is often seen as
"the favorite" child.
As such, when she announced that Andrew had been rebuked, the question remained if he
would still be in contact with anyone in the royal family.
Well, it turns out that he is still somewhat in the royal circle, but only in secret.
On February 15th, 2022, Prince Andrew settled his lawsuit with Virginia Giuffre out of court
for more than $16 million.
The Sun reported that, for every day during the week of February 13th, he snuck into Windsor
Castle in order to visit Queen Elizabeth to discuss his "future role."
It can also be assumed that they also talked about his impending settlement and how they
would pay for it since the queen is allegedly going to help pay the immense amount of money.
A source close to the royal family revealed to the Sun,
"Andrew has been very careful and is trying to keep out of sight.
He knows there are photographers in the daytime and his best chance to avoid them is after
dark."
Andrew also supposedly apologized to his mother for the cloud that his lawsuit has cast over
the year of her Platinum Jubilee.
The insider added,
"He is just so grateful for her support and it's certainly true that the queen has a soft
spot for Andrew."
This may cause some rifts in the royal family because Prince Charles has allegedly been
campaigning for Andrew to be banned from Windsor Castle, which is likely another reason why
Andrew would visit under the cover of darkness.
Now that the queen has been diagnosed with COVID-19, will the brothers put their differences
aside, or has Andrew's fall from grace been too much for Charles?
Senior royals will likely be incensed that Prince Andrew has been sneaking around Windsor
Castle since, as the Sun previously reported, Prince Charles warned his brother to keep
a low profile, essentially banning him from visiting their mother's home.
In fact, rumors are rife that Andrew and his former wife, Sarah Ferguson, who still live
at Royal Lodge, which is also located in Windsor, could soon be kicked out.
They divorced in 1996 but have continued sharing a home since 2008.
Insiders claimed Andrew told Charles years ago that the Virginia Giuffre situation was
nothing to worry about, reassuring his brother that it would all blow over shortly.
As a result, per one insider,
"Charles wants Andrew out of the line of sight and out of the picture.
He has been warned to keep his head down.
Charles does not want Andrew to be photographed every other day looking happy and waving as
he is driven to the castle."
However, if he is forced to leave Windsor for good, Andrew will likely get a huge payout.
At the same time, the insider revealed, quote, "he has made it clear that he will hang on
for dear life."
It's thought that Prince William, wife Kate Middleton, and their three children are looking
to move into Royal Lodge themselves.
Charles has transitioned into a more influential role since the death of Prince Philip, so
his beleaguered brother's time might soon be up.
Although the relationship between Prince Charles and Prince Andrew has understandably soured,
it was Charles who ultimately convinced his brother to settle his sex abuse case out of
court.
It's no secret that the Prince of Wales thought Andrew standing trial was a bad idea, and,
according to the Evening Standard, he fought hard to finally bring an end to the lawsuit
to prevent causing any further damage to the royal family's reputation.
Andrew was intending to attempt to publicly clear his name, but Charles, supported by
their mother, convinced him it would be better to settle with Virginia Giuffre instead.
That means no civil trial will take place, and, crucially, Andrew won't be forced to
provide evidence under oath or in front of a jury.
"She described dancing with you…"
"No." "...and you profusely sweating."
There was considerable concern that he would embarrass the family further, particularly
following Andrew's infamous 2019 TV interview, which just made things worse.
"You were staying at the house of a convicted sex offender."
"It was a convenient place to stay."
According to an insider,
"The Prince of Wales and the Queen could not countenance another disastrous appearance
by the Duke of York, in light of his BBC interview.
Decisive action was needed.
There was little choice.
He had to see sense."
Another senior source revealed that the idea of Andrew appearing in court reportedly filled
his family "with dread."
They've already cut him off, after refusing to support Andrew fighting his case in court.
The disgraced royal has since agreed to make a sizable donation to his accuser's abuse
charity instead.
Check out one of our newest videos right here!
Plus, even more List videos about the royal family are coming soon.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the bell so you don't miss a single one.