Last month, the ex-Duke of York became the first member of the British royal family to be arrested in almost 400 years. Despite being released pending further investigation, the arrest has intensified scrutiny of the father of two following the recent release of the Epstein files.
However, Andrew, who denies any wrongdoing, is reportedly upset with public sentiment. Royal expert Andrew Lownie stated that the former Duke of York still “thinks he’s anointed – that it’s deeply unfair people have turned on him.
“He [Andrew] has been pampered all his life, living in this bubble. Status is everything to him – it’s his only sense of identity. They thought they could operate like this unnoticed. They’re clearly deeply involved in exploiting their royal status.”
This comes as Andrew is reported to have requested to terminate his lease on the East Lodge, a £13,000-a-year Grade II-listed cottage near Sunninghill Park in Berkshire. The property, close to his previous residence in Sunninghill Park, is the second within the Crown Estate to be relinquished by the King’s brother after he left Royal Lodge in late 2025.
However, in a conversation with PEOPLE, Mr Lownie emphasised that the ex-Royal Navy helicopter pilot still “thinks he is anointed.”
Mr Lownie added: “They’re (Beatrice and Eugenie) caught between a rock and a hard place over loyalty to their parents and their future.”
Andrew was released following 11 hours of interrogation at Aylsham Police Station in Norfolk. The father of two was seen reclining in his Range Rover after being chauffeured home from the police station.
At the time, Mr Lownie told The Guardian: “Andrew still can’t see what the problem is. He thinks he’s been hard done by. He’s obsessed with other details – whether he can take his horses up to Norfolk, who’s going to get the dogs, and where he’s going to park his car.”
The former duke, who strongly denies any misconduct, was labelled “one of the most arrogant individuals” this week by Princess Diana’s ex-bodyguard, who had several encounters with him.
Ken Wharfe, a SAS-trained Scotland Yard inspector who served as Diana’s personal protection officer from 1988 to 1993, stated: “I did, on a few occasions, have dealings with him in a professional capacity – and I found him to be one of the most arrogant individuals I’ve ever had the misfortune of meeting.”