Royal expert says Andrew can’t be cut off
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is unlikely to be fully severed from royal life despite years of scandal, a commentator has claimed, as the family balances personal ties with public pressure and ongoing security concerns.
Historian and royal expert Dr Rafe Heydel-Mankoo told GB News that the former Duke of York “cannot be completely ostracized” and has been kept “at arm’s length” by King Charles as the monarch tries to protect the institution while acknowledging family loyalty, Wonderwall reported.
Dr Heydel-Mankoo said the issue involves “three competing elements” — family concern, public outrage and the survival of the monarchy — and argued that the royal family will continue to worry about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s wellbeing even as he has lost public legitimacy. He also suggested the disgraced royal still believes he is entitled to taxpayer-funded protection, despite no longer receiving publicly funded security after stepping back from senior duties in 2019 following a BBC Newsnight interview about his association with Jeffrey Epstein.
Security fears have been heightened in recent weeks after a reported confrontation near the king’s Sandringham estate, where Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is said to be living, amid claims he now relies on privately funded protection; Britpop News has also covered the episode in which he was reportedly left shaken after a masked man confrontation.
The comments come as investigations continue into allegations linked to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s ties to Epstein, with Wonderwall stating he was arrested in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office after emails were released suggesting he passed sensitive documents to the financier while serving as a British trade envoy.
