Princess Anne has reportedly stood by her brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor (Image: Getty)
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor may have been shunned by members of his family, but there is one royal who has reportedly maintained contact with him. Princess Anne has pruportedly still been talking with her brother, and has been concerned for his welfare, according to The Mail.
Anne, 75, is said to have some sympathy for Andrew, whose ties to the late paedophile Jeffrey Epstein led King Charles to strip him of his “prince” status and evict his brother from his Royal Lodge home. Without naming names, a source told the same publication that some members of the Royal Family believe the monarch treated Andrew “too harshly”.
Another source said both Anne and fellow sibling Prince Edward were worried about Andrew, 66, and didn’t want him to be completely cut off from the family.
Andrew was stripped of his titles by King Charles, 77, because of “serious lapses of judgment” over his friendship with the late financier.
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Princess Anne was said to have acted like a ‘surrogate mother’ to Andrew when they were young (Image: Getty)
Some reports suggest that while the King has distanced himself from Andrew, Anne and Edward have reportedly kept in touch.
Despite their differences, Anne was reportedly close to Andrew, though she was said to have been aghast at the allegations which have led to the loss of his titles, including his dukedom.
In her book, Royal Children, Ingrid Seward likens Anne to a “surrogate mother” for Andrew and Edward during her school holidays when the late Queen wasn’t there.
Royal expert, Richard Fitzwilliams, told The Mail of reports Anne felt a duty of care towards Andrew amid the worsening scandal and was concerned for her brother’s mental health.
She reportedly offered for him to stay at her Gatcombe Park home in December, but the offer was withdrawn as further revelations emerged about his ties to Epstein.
King Charles has stripped Andrew of his titles and evicted him from Royal Lodge (Image: Getty)
Anne has not spoken publicly about the scandal that surrounds Andrew. Edward, 62, told a journalist during a visit to Dubai that it was “really important” to remember “the victims and who are the victims in all of this”.
Virginia Giuffre, who died by suicide last year, alleged she was forced to have sex three times with Andrew, including when she was 17, after she was trafficked by Epstein.
Andrew was arrested on his 66th birthday in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
He strenuously denies any wrongdoing, and settled a US civil lawsuit with Giuffre. The settlement, which is said to have amounted to millions of pounds, was not an admission of guilt on his part.
The former prince has not directly responded to the misconduct allegations. He was released from arrest under investigation and has not been charged.
Andrew’s links to Epstein have piled pressure on the King, who will travel to the US later this month on a State Visit. Survivors of Epstein’s abuse and US congressman, Ro Khanna, have written to Charles urging him to meet victims.
Sky Roberts, Ms Giuffre’s brother, and Amanda Roberts, her sister-in-law, previously thanked Charles for “standing behind survivors” following Andrew’s arrest in February. They urged Charles to meet with them and survivors, but neither the King nor Queen Camilla are expected to do so as they don’t want to risk affecting any potential legal proceedings or police enquiries, according to Buckingham Palace.