King Charles Fears Making One Decision About Prince Andrew

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor standing with King Charles and Prince William at the Duchess of Kent's funeral — (Image credit: Getty Images)

Late last year, King Charles announced his decision to demote his brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, following renewed interest in the former Duke of York's friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Having already evicted Andrew from Royal Lodge in Windsor, The King is reportedly facing another rather big decision regarding his brother's future.

Writing for the Daily Mail, royal expert Richard Eden shared that some allegedly "dark, disturbing rumors" are "being whispered from Buckingham Palace." He explained, "I'm disgusted by the Andrew saga...what I'm now hearing is truly immoral."

Referencing Mountbatten-Windsor's recent arrest, Eden wrote, "Andrew remains eighth in line to the throne and, unbelievably, is still a counsellor of state. This means he is, in theory at least, one of seven members of the Royal Family legally entitled to deputize for the monarch if he is unwell or indisposed."

According to Eden, when he's enquired about "why this has not been addressed," he has only received "disturbing" answers.

Princess Anne, Prince Edward, Duchess Sophie and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor in Scotland after Queen Elizabeth's death — "Andrew remains eighth in line to the throne and, unbelievably, is still a counsellor of state."

Per the royal expert, "One tells me that it is because The King is deeply reluctant to 'meddle' with the line of succession." According to Eden, one source told him, "[Charles] thinks it would be opening up a can of worms...For example, if Andrew is removed, would his daughters have to be, too? He thinks they are blameless and do not deserve to be punished."

Eden further explained, "Another source tells me The King does not want to do anything which could be seen as prejudicial to his brother." The source reportedly elaborated, "If he strips him of his place in the line of succession, this could be interpreted as a sign that he thinks Andrew is guilty."

Eden encouraged King Charles to act by removing Andrew from the line of succession immediately, writing, "Both of these excuses are concerning. The King needs to take control of the crisis surrounding his brother."

King Charles, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Andrew on the balcony during Trooping the Colour 2019 — "I'm disgusted by the Andrew saga...what I'm now hearing is truly immoral."

Royal watchers will be eagerly awaiting King Charles's decision regarding Andrew's place in the line of succession. For now, though, Andrew appears to have retreated from the royal spotlight entirely.

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.