King Charles is said to have reached a breaking point with his younger brother, Andrew, with fresh claims suggesting their relationship may now be beyond repair.
As scrutiny around Andrew continues to intensify, insiders believe the monarch is holding firm in his stance, putting duty to the Crown above all else.
In recent months, the king has taken a strict stance on his brother’s position in the royal family amid the ongoing scandal surrounding him.
For years, Andrew, 66, has faced scrutiny over his past association with late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. That scrutiny has been intensifying in recent months following the release of millions of Epstein files in January.
Scandal against Andrew over Epstein links
Within these files, images appeared to show Andrew kneeling on all fours over an unidentified woman lying on the ground. No context was supplied for the images.
Emails within the files also appeared to show Andrew allegedly sharing confidential and sensitive documents with Epstein during his time as UK’s trade envoy.
The hard reality is that the king may never speak to Andrew again.
Then, on February 19, Andrew was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Hours after his arrest, police released Andrew under investigation.
Andrew has always denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.
His older brother, King Charles, has been clear in his stance amid all the scandal emerging.
King Charles took action over Andrew
Last October, the king, 77, initiated a formal process to have Andrew’s royal titles and honours removed. It came after the release of Andrew’s accuser Virginia Giuffre’s posthumous memoir.
In the book, Ms Giuffre, who took her own life last April, repeated her allegations against the former prince. She alleged she was made to have sex with Andrew on three separate occasions when she was 17 in the early 2000s after being trafficked by Epstein.
Andrew has always vehemently denied the allegations.
Meanwhile, following Andrew’s shock arrest in February of this year, the king issued a statement. Discussing the police investigation, he insisted: “In this, as I have said before, they have our full and wholehearted support and co-operation. Let me state clearly: the law must take its course.”
King Charles ‘unlikely to reconcile’ with Andrew
Now, according to the MailOnline, a source has reportedly claimed that King Charles may not speak to his brother again.
It comes after Andrew’s other siblings, Prince Edward and Princess Anne, have reportedly reached out to their brother as they’re “worried about his fragile state of mind”.
A source has told the Mail: “The hard reality is that the king may never speak to Andrew again. It would take an enormous shift in the king’s thinking for them even to be in the same room.
Read more: Queen Elizabeth II ‘had concerns’ about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor before scandal erupted
“The fact that Edward has now visited Andrew and that Anne has spoken to him too might appear to suggest that Charles might be contemplating some kind of rapprochement – but that’s completely wrong.
“They were never close as brothers in the first place, with tensions between them which long predate the Epstein scandal.”
The insider added that Charles is “not just a brother in this situation but also the king” and has to “protect the monarchy”.
Buckingham Palace has been contacted for comment on these claims.
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