Expert Claims Princess Anne Struggled With Andrew's Demotion

Prince Andrew wears a suit and has gray hair and smirks while his sister Princess Anne wears a black coat and hat and has red lipstick on — (Image credit: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

Following the release of further information regarding Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's association with Jeffrey Epstein, the former duke was demoted by King Charles. According to one royal expert, Andrew's sister, Princess Anne, reportedly found the change quite "difficult" to process.

Writing for the Daily Mail, royal expert Richard Kay mused that "many have been wondering how Anne views the crisis surrounding Andrew." According to Kay, "Until last Christmas at least, Anne was still holding a sympathetic and tolerant line towards Andrew—she apparently made a point of telephoning Royal Lodge, where he was still holed up, on Christmas Day when the rest of the family were at Sandringham."

However, new revelations about Andrew's friendship with convicted sex offender Epstein reportedly changed Anne's opinion about her brother.

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"[S]he has also been angry with him for his links to Jeffrey Epstein and the shadow they have cast over the royals, and has questioned him about them," Kay wrote. "The former prince's love of money and unchecked libido were as well-known inside the family as they were outside it."

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor standing along a wall at St George's Chapel — "The former prince's love of money and unchecked libido were well-known inside the family."

According to the outlet, Princess Anne allegedly suggested that Andrew could temporarily move on to the Gatcombe Park estate in Gloucestershire where she lives. Per Kay, Anne thought that Andrew could use her home "as a bolthole when the calls for him to be evicted from Royal Lodge grew shrill."

Kay continued, "This was not just an act of Christian charity but a willingness to surround him with family love—and totally in character."

Unfortunately for Andrew, Anne's opinion has reportedly changed in recent months. As Kay noted, "[H]er attitude is said to have hardened with the release of the Epstein files."

King Charles III and Prince Andrew both wear suits to attend the Easter Mattins Service at Windsor Castle on April 09, 2023 — Anne reportedly "found it difficult to fathom that the son, brother, and uncle of monarchs could no longer be an actual royal."

Initially, Anne reportedly "found it difficult to fathom that the son, brother, and uncle of monarchs could no longer be an actual royal." But as Kay reported, "After the emergence of compromising photographs and damaging claims about him...she came to share the family view that unless Andrew was distanced, the risk of reputational damage to the institution would be considerable."

Per the outlet, Princess Anne was also "shaken" by her brother's arrest, but "has continued to be in contact with him" and "has been concerned about Andrew's mental welfare as his world has imploded."

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Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.