Prince Andrew was reportedly 'blindsided' in an awkward meeting with King Charles where he was told that he will never be allowed to return to royal duties. The disgraced Duke of York thought he could 'still be of value' to the royal family and had 'always believed there was a way back' to his formal role despite his recent sexual assault lawsuit.
Prince Andrew denied the allegations made against him by Virginia Giuffre, who claims he sexually abused her as a teen after she was trafficked by convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. He later came to an out-of-court settlement, paying Giuffre a reported £12 million, the Mirror reports.
In the wake of the sex scandal earlier this year, Prince Andrew stepped down from his royal duties and was stripped of his military affiliations and patronages by the Queen. The 62-year-old continues to deny any wrongdoing and has tried to lobby to resume his former role, according to reports.
Just days before the Queen's death, he attended an early-morning meeting with his brother Charles at Birkhall estate in Scotland just days. During the tense talk, the future monarch reaffirmed that he would never return to royal service.
An insider told the Mail on Sunday : “Andrew was totally blindsided. He is utterly bereft. He always believed there was a way back.”
Another source said: “Naïve as it may sound, he always had hopes of regaining his position as a senior Royal. At the meeting, Charles told him that he can go off and have a good life, a nice life, but that his public life as a royal is at an end.”
The late Queen continued to advocate for her son following his lawsuit, allowing him to make a rare public appearance and escort her down the aisle at Prince Phillip’s memorial service. Her decision reportedly caused ‘uneasiness’ amongst senior royals.
Andrew's life away from royal service will be cemented this Sunday when senior and working royals attend the Remembrance Day service at the Cenotaph with out. According to reports, the Duke thought he could ‘rehabilitated’ and be reinstated back into The Firm, however all hopes of this have since been dashed.
He has been left ‘very depressed’ by the situation and has since been comforted by his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson and his daughters Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie. Reports claim the princesses held at least one meeting with the King to voice their concerns over their father and tried to persuade the monarch to left him return.
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