As the disgraced Andrew Mountbatten Windsor looks particularly downcast during a public outing, experts warn the headache for the royals is far from over

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Kate and William are said to have fully supported Charles’ decision on Andrew(Image: Getty)

Not long before Andrew Mountbatten Windsor lost the final shred of his royal identity, Prince William made it painfully clear that relations had deteriorated to an all-time low with his disgraced uncle.

In scenes so awkward they made royal watchers wince, Andrew was spotted trying to strike up a conversation with the future King when he unexpectedly turned up to Duchess of Kent’s funeral in September. William did not respond to comments made by his uncle, who stood by his side on the steps of Westminster Cathedral, staring straight ahead and barely acknowledging the ex-duke’s presence.

Just weeks after the service, Andrew relinquished his royal titles and honours in a 10-minute phone call with ‘weary and furious’ King Charles. The monarch’s humiliated younger brother also finally agreed to give up his 30-room mansion, Royal Lodge, after Charles spent years trying to free the crumbling property from Andrew’s clutches. His “cast iron” lease meant that Andrew had to agree to vacate on his own terms, despite barely paying any rent on the estate for more than 20 years.

William and Andrew had an awkward moment at a funeral just weeks before the royal relinquished his titles

Since Andrew’s world came crumbling down last month, he has spent his last days in Royal Lodge “wandering around” alone while “ranting to himself,” according to royal sources. Increasingly “isolated,” the former prince has barely left his residence, and has only been spotted a couple of times while horse riding on the grounds of the Windsor estate.

Today, he was pictured looking particularly downcast while out riding with a companion. The headache for Andrew and the royals is far from over, as the ex-duke has faced calls from US lawmakers to testify on his “longstanding friendship” with the late billionaire paedophile, Jeffrey Epstein. But according to body language expert Judi James, this sudden shift in demeanour might be less about genuine sadness and more about a calculated change in tactics.

The “staging” of the sorrow is almost theatrical, according to Judi. The expert believes his latest outing could be one last attempt to garner sympathy from the public and his older brother. “Andrew could of course be feeling understandably sad,” she says. “But this could also be performative if he’s realised the arrogant, defiant displays didn’t work.”

Royal experts have pointed out that while Charles will likely be seething over Andrew being photographed while still enjoying the perks of his Windsor estate – fearful of how this could tarnish the public image of the scandal-hit monarchy – William feels a “duty of care” towards his fallen uncle. Jennie Bond, former royal correspondent at the BBC, believes Andrew’s neighbours, William and Princess Kate, will have mixed opinions about the ex-prince being photographed as he continues to be plagued by allegations about his connection to Epstein.

Andrew out and about today in Windsor

The Waleses now live just two miles away from Andrew, having moved to Forest Lodge earlier this month. Andrew is set to move to another property on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk in the New Year. Jennie believes William and Kate would be showing a certain level of grace to Andrew as he continues to live largely in the shadows.

She told the Mirror: “While there is no love lost between William, Catherine and Andrew, my understanding is that they, and the rest of the royal family, believe they still have a duty of care for his welfare and mental health. Andrew is reported to have become isolated, depressed and solitary.

“It’s not his fault if photographers are ready to pounce if he dares to venture out, and I don’t think the Prince and Princess would begrudge him a ride around the park and some fresh air. Obviously it would be more convenient if it wasn’t on their doorstep, but they know that this is about to end and he will be living miles away in Sandringham.”

Andrew with Virginia Giuffre and Ghislaine Maxwell(Image: US District Court – Southern Dis)

Meanwhile, Charles will be worried about the optics of such snaps. “I think the King will feel it’s unfortunate that pictures of Andrew are in the press again, drawing attention away from the work the rest of the family are doing,” Jennie said. “It would obviously be much better if Andrew were seen doing something for charity, or anything other than idly amusing himself. However, he is so toxic that no-one wants him anywhere near their organisation.”

It’s likely a sore subject for the King, as just days before Andrew was stripped of his titles, Charles reportedly planned to be seen passing Royal Lodge to ‘read Prince Andrew the riot act’ before the idea was scrapped. Emily Maitlis, who famously grilled Andrew in his car-crash Newsnight interview, alleged the plan had been put in place when the King arrived back in the UK from his trip to the Vatican last month. Broadcast crews and photographers gathered outside the gates of Royal Lodge amid speculation there could be further developments in the long-running controversy surrounding the late Queen’s second son.

Andrew’s infamous ‘car crash’ interview on Newsnight(Image: BBC)

She claimed: “What we learned what was going to happen on Thursday was that Charles, fresh from the Vatican and his audience with the Pope, was going to come via Royal Lodge to be seen in other words, reading the riot act to his brother. Nobody was going to film the conversation or see him stepping out the car but there was going to be the moment caught on camera of King Charles’s car heading to Royal Lodge.

“What happened, I understand, was that the Palace then got very nervous, and when they saw the choppers and helicopters, they thought this has all got too big, this has got out of control, they cancelled the whole thing. The King just went straight home and never came by.”

Kate and William were said to have fully supported the King when he took formal action over his brother’s royal titles amid ongoing scrutiny about Andrew’s links to Epstein. William is always understood to have wanted to take decisive action over his uncle, with previous reports claiming it became somewhat of a pinch point for father and son. The ex-duke’s downfall came after he was accused by the late Virginia Giuffre of sexually assaulting her as a teenager, after she was trafficked by Epstein, which the former prince strongly denies.

William and Charles allegedly had different approaches to dealing with Andrew(Image: Getty)

Royal author Andrew Lownie told The Mirror that William likely played a significant role in “stiffening” his father’s determination to take further action against Andrew. “From what I know of him and his father, William would have played quite an active role in stiffening Charles’ resolve,” Lownie said.

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“But I think particularly after Charles was heckled and the continuing press coverage – which was a distraction from all the other things he wanted to do, like pray at the Vatican – he’s realised just how serious this is.”

Meanwhile, a source told The Daily Beast that William was allegedly “dismayed” by the earlier, much softer approach to Andrew’s royal status, which only removed the Duke of York title. With Andrew still living in Royal Lodge and having the right to be referred to as prince, William is said to have feared future repercussions.

The royals are said to be concerned for Andrew’s mental health(Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

The outlet even suggested that William ultimately saw the Andrew ‘problem’ as his “father’s mess” to deal with. It said: “William has long grasped that the monarchy has been held hostage by Andrew’s scandal and knew a ransom would have to be paid…Andrew walked away from the royals with a deal worth ‘millions.’”

It’s long been claimed that Andrew’s troubles have had a deep affect on King Charles, with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s biographer Omid Scobie claiming in his 2023 book Endgame that the monarch was once reduced to tears over the ex-duke’s mental health.

Scobie wrote: “[King Charles] was in tears because he was afraid for Andrew’s mental health. Charles leads with his head and his heart. William is colder.”