Andrew’s dramatic fall from grace could reach a striking new low thanks to protocol rules.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor appears to be confronting yet another humiliating chapter in his public life, as he may be forced to bow down to his own daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, who have been allowed to retain their royal titles.
His military roles and honorary titles were among the first casualties of the royal fallout from the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. Once his association with the convicted sex offender became impossible to justify, those titles were quickly stripped away.
From that moment on, scrutiny surrounding the 66-year-old has only intensified. King Charles relocated his disgraced brother from Royal Lodge to his private Sandringham estate, but that only signalled a further distancing from royal privilege.
Arrested there on his birthday on suspicion of misconduct in public office – allegations which Andrew strongly denies – has added yet another level of shame and controversy to the former prince. Now, royal writer Andrew Lownie has weighed in on the situation, outlining that the current arrangement regarding titles is likely to be a source of irritations for Andrew.
Writing in his Substack, The Lownie Report, Lownie said: “Andrew, of course, stands on ceremony, titles and all these things are very, very important to him, and the pecking order and people bowing and curtseying.”
He continued: “I think this is what is going to upset him now, his own daughters; he will have to bow to them.” According to Sky News, Beatrice, 37, and Eugenie, 36, have kept their princess titles despite their parents downfall, creating a protocol situation that royal experts say is without modern precedent.
Royal biographer Robert Hardman echoed that view during an appearance on the Daily Mail’s Palace Confidential, agreeing that such a scenario is entirely likely – albeit with one important condition, the Mirror reports.
“He will have to bow to everybody – that’s assuming he’s in the room with the rest of the family,” Hardman said. When asked whether Andrew would handle that situation well, his response was blunt: “No, I don’t.”
However, behind the scenes a different picture is emerging. Crates labeled HRH were reportedly spotted being unloaded at Marsh Farm, the Sandringham property that King Charles has assigned to his brother.
Andrew is currently staying at Wood Farm nearby while renovation work at Marsh Farm is complete. Staff who will attend to the father-of-two at his new residence have also been given clear instructions on how to address Andrew.
Speaking to The Sun, a source stated: “He’s lost his HRH, prince and duke titles and so staff, who didn’t know how to correctly address him, have been instructed that he is still to be called ‘Sir’.”
“He will be given his own chef and valet at Marsh Farm which is a climbdown to the luxury he was previously afforded.”
Despite the reduced circumstances, the arrangement remains a comfortable one.
The costs are being covered personally by the King, who has taken on the responsibility for his brother’s finances to ensure the disgraced former prince does not become reliant on an outside source for support.
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