King Charles‘ desire to streamline the monarchy isn’t something that he only just decided on since taking the throne – it’s actually something he has wanted for many, many years!
According to The King author Christopher Andersen, King Charles wanted to reshape the monarchy back in 2008, with Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson‘s daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie being among the royal family members who were considered for demotion at the time. And as expected, the Duke of York was not happy about it, and didn’t hesitate to let his older brother know!
King Charles Reportedly Considered Demoting Princess Beatrice And Princess Eugenie
One of the things such a demotion would involve for Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie is having their Her Royal Highness titles stripped – as was the case with Prince Harry, as he was stripped of his His Royal Highness title when he and Meghan Markle stepped down as working royals. The same was also the case for their father Prince Andrew following the Virginia Giuffre sexual assault allegations and his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
"Charles floated the idea that several Windsor offspring be demoted, stripped of their HRH standing, have their royal protection taken away, and, most revolutionary of all, kicked off the royal payroll," Andersen told Fox News Digital, before talking about Prince Andrew's reaction to his brother's idea.
Prince Andrew Reportedly Decided To 'Throw A Fit' When He Heard King Charles' Plans
"Prince Andrew fought these proposals that would have resulted in his daughters Beatrice and Eugenie each being forced to earn their own living and downgraded from 'Princess' to 'Lady,' a suggestion that was shouted down in an angry confrontation between him and Charles," Andersen continued, before going on to say that the King's younger brother decided to "throw a fit" when the idea of his daughters being demoted was brought up.
"By all accounts, it was a literal battle Royale, a desk-pounding shouting match between the two brothers, both known for their volatile tempers," Andersen added. "Keep in mind that this was years before Andrew's involvement in the Jeffrey Epstein sex abuse scandal essentially forced the King to put Andrew out to pasture."
King Charles Reportedly Always 'Resented' Prince Andrew
Much like Prince William and Prince Harry, King Charles and Prince Andrew didn't seem to have the best relationship when they were growing up, which is another thing Andersen touched on.
"The King and Prince Andrew have always had a strained relationship," Andersen said. "The Queen lavished attention on both Andrew and the youngest brother, Edward. Their father, Prince Philip, doted on Anne. They were often described as 'two peas in a pod.' But as the oldest and heir to the throne, Charles was left out in the cold, emotionally abandoned by his parents."
Andersen added: "Charles was 11 when Andrew was born, and the King has resented his younger brother ever since."
