Expert Claims Andrew Made Top Secret Deal With King Charles

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - SEPTEMBER 16: (EMBARGOED FOR PUBLICATION IN UK NEWSPAPERS UNTIL 24 HOURS AFTER CREATE DATE AND TIME) Prince Andrew, Duke of York and King Charles III attend Katharine, Duchess of Kent#039;s Requiem Mass service at Westminster Cathedral on September 16, 2025 in London, England. Katharine, Duchess of Kent was married to Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, a first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. She died on September 4 at the age of 92 at Kensington Palace surrounded by her family. Having converted to Catholicism in 1994, her funeral takes place at Westminster Cathedral and is the first Catholic funeral to be held for a member of the royal family in modern British history. Her Royal Highness will be laid to rest at the Royal Burial Ground at Frogmore, Windsor. (Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images) — (Image credit: Getty Images)

King Charles has had an extremely busy month, which has included celebrating his 77th birthday, and demoting his brother, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. As well as removing Andrew's official royal titles and evicting him from Royal Lodge in Windsor, King Charles has allegedly been forced to negotiate a "secret deal" with the disgraced ex-duke.

Writing for the Daily Mail, royal expert Richard Eden discussed the factors behind Andrew's announcement he'd leave Royal Lodge, despite having a "'cast-iron' legal right to remain" in the property "until 2078." As for why Andrew might have "finally caved in," having previously "resisted months of relentless pressure," Eden suggested that a "secret deal" was made between The King and the former Duke of York.

"It was agreed that not only would there be no action taken by The King against Beatrice and Eugenie…but they would be allowed to accept new official royal roles," the Daily Mail reported.

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Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie wearing bright green and blue dresses with ivory jackets walking down stairs next to Prince Andrew — "They would be allowed to accept new official royal roles."

A royal source told Eden, "It is, perhaps, one of the few things that His Majesty and Andrew agree on." The source continued, "They both love Beatrice and Eugenie and want the best for them. They also agree that the princesses can play an important, helpful role in public life."

Basically, Andrew allegedly agreed to give up the majority of his royal privileges in return for the protection of his daughters.

Prince Andrew, Sarah Ferguson and Princess Anne wearing black at the Duchess of Kent#039;s funeral — "It is, perhaps, one of the few things that His Majesty and Andrew agree on."

Eden also noted that "The King had agreed to find a new home for Andrew on the private royal estates and provide him with financial compensation."

But the biggest concession Charles appears to have made regarding Andrew relates to Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie. As Eden explained, "Andrew was told that both women would also retain their places in the line of succession to the throne—ninth in Beatrice's case and 12th in Eugenie's."

Royal expert Ingrid Seward agreed with Eden's summation, telling The Sun, "The King is determined to embrace his nieces…and bring them into the royal fold in a way where they don't feel they're just being gratuitously pulled in, but they're actually doing something for it."

As for why The King might have taken the decision to look out for Beatrice and Eugenie, Seward noted, "I think that Charles feels quite responsible for these two girls, because it's been a hideous time for them. Really hideous."

Hopefully Beatrice and Eugenie will be able to move forward with their own royal careers following Charles and Andrew's alleged "deal"

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Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.