Andrew Makes ‘Secret Deal’ with Charles About Family During ‘Really Hideous Time’
King Charles has had a nonstop month that included celebrating his seventy seventh birthday and making tough decisions about his brother Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. Along with removing Andrew’s official royal titles and asking him to leave Royal Lodge in Windsor, Charles has reportedly been working behind the scenes on what is being called a “secret deal” to finally resolve the long running standoff.
Royal expert Richard Eden wrote in the Daily Mail that Andrew’s decision to leave Royal Lodge surprised those who believed he had a “cast iron legal right to remain” in the home until 2078. For months he pushed back against pressure from the palace. Eden suggests he “finally caved in” because the King agreed to terms that protected what Andrew cares about most his daughters.
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According to the Daily Mail the reported agreement included a promise that “not only would there be no action taken by The King against Beatrice and Eugenie…but they would be allowed to accept new official royal roles.” A royal source told Eden, “It is, perhaps, one of the few things that His Majesty and Andrew agree on.” The source added that both men believe the princesses can make a meaningful contribution to public life.
The story paints the picture of an arrangement where Andrew surrenders most of his remaining privileges in exchange for stability for Beatrice and Eugenie. Eden also reported that Charles offered Andrew a new home on private royal land along with financial compensation. The most important guarantee related to the line of succession. Eden wrote that Andrew was assured Beatrice would remain ninth in line and Eugenie would stay twelfth.
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Royal commentator Ingrid Seward supported this view in comments to The Sun. She said the King wants to welcome his nieces into more defined roles in a way that feels purposeful rather than symbolic. Seward added that Charles “feels quite responsible for these two girls, because it has been a hideous time for them. Really hideous.”
If the reported deal holds it could give Beatrice and Eugenie the space to build royal careers on their own terms without the weight of their father’s controversies overshadowing everything.