When Prince Andrew became embroiled in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, the Royal Family had to respond quickly.
Prince Philip, then 98, had retired from royal duties but remained head of the family.
Advising his son on how to handle the situation was “a final family intervention that he was prepared to execute himself,” royal expert Tina Brown wrote in her 2022 book The Palace Papers.
Andrew had been summoned to Sandringham to meet his father and explain his side of the story following his disastrous interview with BBC’s Emily Maitlis on Newsnight.
The meeting resulted in the late Duke of Edinburgh asking his son to “step down” from his royal duties.
Andrew’s encounter on Newsnight has been dramatised in Amazon Prime’s new show A Very Royal Scandal, starring Michael Sheen as the Prince and Ruth Wilson as Mrs Maitlis and which premiered last Thursday.
Prince Andrew with his father Prince Philip watching horse racing at Epsom Downs in Surrey in 2016
King Charles, Princess Anne and Prince Andrew attended the Easter service at St George’s Chapel in Windsor last year.
Andrew, the Queen and Prince Philip attended the Derby in 2013
A source close to the royal estate previously told the Daily Telegraph: “There was no shouting or screaming, Philip told her in no uncertain terms that she had to step down for the good of the monarchy.
‘Philip does not like being judged by the media, but he is realistic enough to realise that Andrew’s actions were a danger to the very fabric of the royal family.’
They described the conversation as “tense” and that Philip had told Andrew “that he had to serve his punishment.”
King Charles, then Prince of Wales and heir to the throne, took advantage of the situation to also demonstrate his power within the family.
He had been increasing the number of his public engagements while the Queen gradually reduced hers.
Charles reportedly gave his younger brother a dressing down after summoning him to a meeting at the royal estate after returning from a trip to New Zealand.
He told Andrew there was “no way he would return to the family in the near future” and echoed Philip’s call for him to step down from public duties.
A source previously told The Sun: ‘It was all very civil and calm but Charles calmly read her the riot act and told her there was no way she was returning in the near future.
Prince Andrew with BBC journalist Emily Maitlis at Buckingham Palace on the day she interviewed him for Newnight in 2019
Ms Maitlis questioned Andrew about his association with Epstein, and the Prince denied allegations against him made by sex accuser Virginia Giuffre.
Charles told Andrew there was “no way he could return to the family in the near future” and echoed Philip’s call for him to step down from public duties.
Convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein photographed in 2000 at Royal Ascot
Andrew attended Royal Ascot with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell (green dress) in June 2000
‘Andrew thought he was being treated harshly because nothing had been proven against him yet, but he accepted the decision. In reality, he didn’t have much choice.’
This came after Andrew faced public outcry following his interview with Ms Maitlis last month.
The journalist questioned Andrew about his connection to Epstein and the Prince repeatedly denied the accusations made by Giuffre.
He claimed he could not have had sex with Giuffre (who alleged Epstein trafficked her to sleep with the duke in 2001) because she was with his daughter, Princess Beatrice, at a birthday party at Pizza Express in Woking.
Ms Maitlis recently told the Radio Times: “A month after the interview was broadcast, someone close to Prince Charles took me aside and told me, somewhat cryptically, that ‘His Royal Highness was not unhappy with the interview.'”
Andrew continued to strenuously deny having ever met Ms. Giuffre.
In March 2022, he paid a multimillion-dollar settlement to his accuser, formally ending the civil sexual assault case she filed against him in the United States.
As a result of being forced into effective retirement, he lost his £249,000 Sovereign Grant income but retained his palatial home, the 30-bedroom Royal Lodge at Windsor.
Although he has a 75-year lease on the property, Charles is putting increasing pressure on him to leave the £30million mansion.
The King had been funding private guards at the residence since Andrew’s police protection was removed in 2022 amid the Epstein scandal.
But last month it emerged that the team of ten guards had been told they would not be needed from the autumn, apparently on the orders of the King.
Andrew and his daughter Princess Beatrice at the Queen’s funeral in 2022
Andrew and the late Duke of Edinburgh on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to mark the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain in 2015
Charles is said to be at the end of his tether and has made it clear that there are now only “two possible options” for Andrew, This was reported by the Times.
The first thing is for the Duke to find a way to be financially independent by paying his own expenses, which would cover his security and the maintenance of his house.
The second, according to sources close to the King, is that Andrés moves to “more suitable accommodation.”
Charles encouraged Andrew to move into Frogmore Cottage in Windsor, which was the former home of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex before they moved to California.
The cottage sits within the existing security cordon of the Windsor royal estate and was renovated by Harry and Meghan in 2019.