A royal expert has claimed that the disgraced former prince is using his daughters as his inside link to the Royal Family, urging them to attend Christmas in Sandringham to keep a foot in with the royals
Royal experts have claimed that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is using his daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, to keep a foot in with the Royal Family, despite his dramatic exile.
The disgraced former prince was stripped of his titles and evicted from his Royal Lodge home in October over continued revelations emerging about his connection to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. While Andrew has effectively been exiled from the Firm, his daughters maintain a good relationship with King Charles and other senior royals. Both Beatrice and Eugenie shocked many royal watchers as they joined the royals for Christmas in Sandringham, while Andrew and Fergie spent the festive season alone.
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Royal experts Ingrid Seward and Charlie Rae spoke candidly about Beatrice and Eugenie’s inclusion in the royal Christmas celebrations, telling The Sun’s Matt Wilkinson they were surprised to see them in such good spirits, given the nature of their parent’s scandals.
Wilkinson said: “I was fascinated by Beatrice and Eugenie going to Sandringham because we were led to believe that both of them were going to stay away from Royal Lodge, they were going to stay away from Sandringham to avoid being seen like they’re taking sides. However, they changed their minds and they went to Sandringham. They were standing on the steps outside of the church, smiling, happy with the King.”
Mr Rae argued it was the “right decision to be with the King”, and Ms Seward agreed, adding: “But I don’t think Beatrice and Eugenie had a choice. Andrew said to them, you have to go, because he wants to keep a foot in. A, he wants to know what’s going on. B, he’d want to know what people were saying about him.”
“And he’s always said that, and Fergie has said, ‘the girls are my passport’. They are Andrew’s only passport into the royal family now. And I’m absolutely sure that he persuaded them.”
Fellow royal expert Mr Rae agreed wholeheartedly and added: “Andrew wants to keep an eye on what’s going on. He’s not invited, so he’s not at the table any more. So one of the first things that would have happened when they got back would be Andrew would be on the phone saying, ‘right, who said what?’”
While Beatrice and Eugenie were all smiles alongside the Royal Family on Christmas Day, a solo Andrew was pictured driving out of his Royal Lodge home – which he will soon be kicked out of – looking sad and sombre.
Andrew has faced even more heat in recent weeks as photos of him appeared in the newly released Epstein files. Being named or pictured in these files does not equate to wrongdoing and Andrew has consistently denied all allegations against him.
Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond told the Mirror that while Andrew awaits his move to the Sandringham estate, he is likely lying low amidst the continuing onslaught of allegations tying him to Epstein.
Jennie explained: “There are still many more Epstein documents and emails to be released, but I suspect that the most damaging revelations about Andrew’s friendship with him are already in the public arena. But the threat of more scandal around the corner will remain for some time – not only about Epstein, but about Andrew’s financial dealings and arrangements. It is not a story that investigative journalists are ready to let rest.”
Source: Mirror
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