Royal Biographer Shares The King's "I Told You So" Moment

Queen Elizabeth standing between King Charles and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, both in red uniforms — (Image credit: Getty Images)

King Charles has made unprecedented moves to distance the monarchy from his brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, including removing his titles and evicting him from Royal Lodge. A month on from the former Duke of York’s arrest, royal experts are weighing in on his relationship with The King and the moment that made Charles think “I told you so.”

Andrew was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office on his 66th birthday, February 19, and King Charles released a statement stating that he fully supported any police investigation regarding his brother. The former Duke of York served as a trade envoy for the U.K. from 2001 until 2011, and has been accused of sharing confidential information with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Royal biographer Robert Jobson told Hello! that The King, then Prince Charles, wasn’t a fan of the trade envoy idea when it was proposed by Queen Elizabeth.

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“Charles always had doubts about Andrew becoming an envoy,” Jobson shared, noting that the now-King thought his brother “had just retired from the Navy and didn't have experience of diplomacy.”

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and King Charles wearing suits and tiex — King Charles is pictured with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

Queen Elizabeth sitting on a sofa between King Charles and Prince Philip with Prince Edward, Princess Anne and ex-Prince Andrew standing behind them — Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip pose with their four children in 2007.

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However, Queen Elizabeth “insisted” on the appointment for her favorite son, Andrew, despite Charles’s concerns. “So now, Charles is thinking: 'I told you so,'" Jobson continued.

An “associate” of Andrew’s told Hello! that the relationship between King Charles and his brother has broken down irrecoverably. “You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to work that out," the source said.

However, the brothers, who are 12 years apart, were never close. "Andrew resented Charles," Entitled author Andrew Lownie told the outlet. "He felt that he could do a better job. Charles resented Andrew. He felt that Andrew was allowed to do things he couldn't do."

Meanwhile, Jobson said that a source close to The King revealed another reason Charles resents his brother.

"In around 2013 or 2014, Charles and Andrew had a massive conversation about Epstein and Andrew gave him his complete and utter assurance that he had done nothing wrong," Jobson shared. "He gave unequivocal reassurances."

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Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.