Andrew and Fergie to come out of exile for first time since titles stripped with Beatrice and Eugenie
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson will step out for an important palace event for the first time since being stripped of their titles, according to a report.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson will step out of exile to celebrate their granddaughter’s christening.
The disgraced ex-prince, 65, and former Duchess of York, 66, are set to attend the palace event on Friday, it has been reported.
According to The Mail on Sunday, it will be the first time the pair have been inside a royal palace since being stripped of their titles.
It comes as their daughter, Princess Beatrice, 37, and her husband Edo Mapelli Mozzi, 42, will christen their baby Athena at the Chapel Royal at St James’s Palace.
A source said: “It’s going to be a royal occasion, but everyone is dreading the thought of seeing Andrew there.”
Another insider claimed: “Beatrice has, of course, invited her father. But things are not warm between them.
“However, she’s worried about him. He’s going through a low ebb with his mental health and she recognises that he dotes on his grandchildren and it would be cruel to deprive him of the chance to attend the christening.”
The source added how discussions and “diplomacy” with King Charles would have been necessary.
An investigation by the media outlet also revealed Andrew saved up to £3.1 million (A$6.2) in paying “peppercorn rent” for his daughters to live in a St James’s apartment.
According to The Sun, the former Duke rented the four-bedroom flat for just £1,600 (A$3200) a month, while other properties on the market in that area go for a staggering £20,000 ($A40,000) a month.
FORMER PRINCE ANDREW DIGGING HIS HEELS IN
Former prince Andrew wants to ensure he will be properly taken care of before he finally exits Royal Lodge according to royal sources.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, brother to King Charles, has agree to leave to property after ongoing angst about his alleged connection to pedophile Jeffrey Epstein and the revelation he hasn’t paid rent in 20 years.
“Andrew is said to be at loggerheads with his brother, King Charles,” royal photographer Helena Chard told Fox News.
“Andrew feels he has played ball, doing everything asked of him surrounding Royal Lodge. We hear he is reeling and wants to be treated fairly, especially as he is giving up the perfectly valid lease on his beloved Royal Lodge.
“Andrew feels frustrated, having been pushed into downgrading his accommodation, and is allegedly now demanding a suitable six- or seven-bedroom house on the Sandringham estate,” said Chard.
“He feels he is entitled to all the staff he is accustomed to, including a cook, housekeeper, gardener, driver and police security.”
Ms Chard said she heard the former royal was taking his fall from grace hard.
“He may now be viewed as a commoner, but he has never lived like one,” Ms Chard said.
“If left to his own devices, I imagine he wouldn’t know how to look after himself.
“It’s probably easier for King Charles to privately pay for his brother to be looked after at this point, monitoring his whereabouts and preventing Andrew from causing further possible havoc.”
Royal historian and author of new book Entitled: The Rise and Fall of The House of York Andrew Lownie spoke to USA Today about Andrew.
He said all eyes at Buckingham Palace would be on the Epstein files release which will take place some time before December 19.
“I understand there is a lot of material on him. I think there’s a danger that a lot of material won’t be released. We’ve already seen quite a few revelations … particularly the length of his association with Epstein,” Mr Lownie said.
While it is hoped Andrew would leave Royal Lodge in the New Year, he doesn’t actually have to go until October 2026 as per his notice to voluntarily vacate despite his “iron clad” 75 year lease.
“We have to be slightly cautious about him leaving Royal Lodge. He’s been given a year to get out. He’s basically digging his heels in to say that he wants to have a pretty large house on the Sandringham estate,” Mr Lownie said.
“He wants to have servants, a driver, a gardener, a housekeeper. So it’s not going to be the fall from grace that everyone’s assumed.
“He’s making the point that he’s got a cast-iron lease, and therefore, he needs to be compensated. So what’s been said in public and actually what’s happening in private are two very different things.”
Mr Lownie said the late Queen Elizabeth and King Charles had their “heads in the sand” about Andrew for too long and it was William who insisted he be kicked out and stripped of his titles.
“William has seen the reputational damage that’s been done and that he needs to get ahead of the story,” Mr Lownie said.
“And that’s why just over a month ago, they realised public opinion was demanding something to happen.”
Mr Lownie said as the cost of living crisis continues, public fury about how taxpayer funds are spent isn’t going away any time soon.
“I think over the years, it’d been difficult to quantify what has been spent on their security, on taking jets when he could have gone on commercial flights, taking helicopters when he could have gone by car,” he said.
“This is why there needs to be more transparency about royal finances. We need to know what the costs (are). But I think the palace realises it would (lead to) a revolt because there is a concern that the royals are not providing value for the money.
“Some, like Princess Anne, work extremely hard. Others are not, and that is affecting their popularity.”
Mr Lownie said once Andrew moved out of Royal Lodge he would effectively be “cut loose.”
“They don’t want the reputational damage. He was kind of this infected limb that was affecting the rest of the body,” he said.
The royal expert believed the House of Windsor would survive the scandal.
“I think as long as they deal with this problem, cut Andrew loose and the public is satisfied that justice is being served,” he said.
“William, Kate and the young family are very popular. I think people are very much in step with what they want to do, which is a much more focused monarchy (working) on a few good deeds, rather (than more) pomp and ceremony.
“We want the monarchy. We’ve seen how effective it can be in bringing the nation together, the soft power, for example, when Donald Trump was over. There’s broad support for the monarchy, but it does need to reform. Ironically, Andrew may have been the person to bring that change.”
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Originally published as Andrew and Fergie to come out of exile for first time since titles stripped with Beatrice and Eugenie
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