Princess Anne's 'true feelings' over King Charles' 'treatment' of brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor
The king stripped Andrew of his royal titles last year
Disagreement has reportedly erupted behind palace walls, with Princess Anne clashing with King Charles over his decision to strip Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor of titles and privileges.
According to a source quoted by the Daily Mail recently, Anne has been “vocal” with both the king and Prince William about what she sees as Andrew’s “harsh” treatment. Her brother, Prince Edward, is said to be “backing her to some extent”.
The insider claims there have been “several arguments”, not only between Andrew and the king, but also between the king and other family members who believe the response has gone too far.
Princess Anne ‘worried’ over King Charles’ treatment of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor
“Anne has been vocal with both the king and William about Andrew’s treatment, with Edward backing her to some extent,” the source claimed.
They added that some relatives are “convinced the king has treated his brother too harshly”.
Last October, King Charles stripped Andrew of his remaining royal titles and honours. Andrew was also told to vacate Royal Lodge. This has since happened, with Andrew leaving the Windsor property this week.
The move followed years of controversy over Andrew’s links to late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and came amid mounting public pressure for decisive action.
But insiders say the decision weighed heavily on Charles. The king is said to believe Andrew is “innocent until proven guilty”.
At the same time, Prince William and Queen Camilla are reported to have pushed for a firmer stance. This divide has repeatedly created significant “family angst”.
“It doesn’t fit well with the king to have to treat Andrew as harshly as he has,” the insider claimed.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor allegations
The family rift comes as Andrew faces fresh scrutiny following the release of more than three million Epstein documents by the US Department of Justice.
Within the files are images appearing to show Andrew kneeling over an unidentified woman lying on the ground. In two images, he appears to be touching her stomach as she’s fully clothed; another shows him looking toward the camera.
No context has been provided for the photographs, and it remains unclear when or where they were taken.
Royal Insider contacted representatives for Andrew on the files.
Andrew has consistently denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein. Being named or pictured in the Epstein files is not, in itself, an indication of wrongdoing.
For years, the 65-year-old has faced intense scrutiny over his links to Epstein. His accuser, Virginia Giuffre, alleged she was trafficked by Epstein and forced to have sex with Andrew when she was 17.
Andrew has always vehemently denied all allegations. Ms Giuffre’s posthumous memoir, published last October, brought renewed attention to those claims.
Meanwhile, while Anne has reportedly expressed her views privately, Prince Edward addressed the situation publicly when asked about the Epstein files at the World Governments Summit in Dubai this week.
Speaking to CNN, he steered the focus away from the royal family and toward those affected by Epstein’s crimes.
Edward said it was important to “remember the victims”. He also suggested the audience was more interested in discussions about education and the future than in royal controversy.
Royal Insider has contacted reps for Buckingham Palace for comment on this story.
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