This post has been updated since it was originally published to include recent facts
Prince Andrew is reportedly doing all he can to return to public life, including dedicating himself to charity and now even considering challenging his out-of-court settlement with Virginia Giuffre. And King Charles, as you can imagine, is *not* happy!
King Charles has reportedly been very critical of his younger brother’s latest attempt to restore his public image by devoting himself to charity work, following the reports that the monarch has now kicked him out of Buckingham Palace, which is about to undergo a 10-year, $400M renovation. The latest reports claim that he won’t be very far, and will temporarily be residing at the nearby St. James’s Palace.
King Charles Has 'Made It Clear' Prince Andrew Can't Return To Public Life
A source close to King Charles, 74, recently told The Daily Beast, "Charles has made it clear there is no way back to public life for Andrew. If he wants to do charitable work that will be up to him." However, it's becoming more and more clear that the 62-year-old disgraced royal doesn’t want to withdraw from public life, and is reportedly contemplating challenging his $14M out-of-court settlement with Giuffre amid her sexual assault allegations, in the hopes that overturning the settlement could be the start of his way back in.
We don’t know how likely this will be, though, as former civil servant Jill Rutter told Times Radio that Prince Andrew won't have the royal family's blessing to challenge the settlement, especially as King Charles' coronation is right around the corner!
"I would have thought the royal family didn’t want the Platinum Jubilee overshadowed by this and won’t want the coronation overshadowed by more legal shenanigans from Prince Andrew," Rutter said, adding, "I think they’ll tell him to shut up and go away."
Prince Andrew Claims Charity Idea Came From His Mother, Queen Elizabeth II
The Duke of York has made an optimistic attempt to restore himself to a position in public by dedicating himself to a "charitable cause" – advice which reportedly came from the late Queen Elizabeth II herself! This is the same method that John Profumo, the British government minister who resigned over an affair with 19-year-old model Christine Keeler in 1963, used to try and rehabilitate his image.
"Andrew’s mother suggested the route forward was taking on a charitable cause," a source close to Prince Andrew told The Independent. "Other members of the family agreed and saw it as his only way to rehabilitation."
The Queen reportedly gave no indication that she had this plan for Prince Andrew while she was alive and made no public comment in support of charity work for her disgraced son. She did, however, strip Prince Andrew of all military affiliations and royal patronages.
Prince Andrew’s supporters believe that it is only right for Queen Elizabeth’s heir, King Charles, to honor the late monarch’s wishes. The palace, however, will likely not attempt to help Andrew. A recent source told The Daily Beast, "It is hard to see what charities would wish to be associated with Prince Andrew given the toxicity of his reputation." While some reports claim that the King was supportive of Prince Andrew’s charity plans, friends of the King have told The Daily Beast that this is definitely not true. They said that the last thing Charles wanted was for Andrew to "stir the muck heap" ahead of his coronation in May.
Prince Andrew's Role In The Coronation Will Speak Volumes About His Return To Public Life
Royal experts have unanimously agreed that Prince Andrew and Prince Harry's attendance at King Charles' coronation in May could be a huge distraction, and it is still yet to be confirmed whether they will actually attend. If Prince Andrew *does* receive an invite and accepts, his involvement in the celebration, including where he will be sitting, will speak volumes about his future at the firm.
"It remains to be seen whether Charles III will allow his ill-fated brother to attend his coronation ceremony on May 6th at Westminster Abbey," Spanish journalist Rafa De Miguel wrote in an Op-Ed for El Pais. "Not inviting the prince would finalize his slow process of public withdrawal, and seating him in a discrete spot would also send a clear message to the BBC cameras, and prevent the duke from casting a shadow on the moment Charles has been waiting 70 years for."
