Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has become a "pathetic couch potato" who is "disowned by his family" in the fallout of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, according to a royal author. Biographer Andrew Lownie, who published an updated version of his tell-all book on Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson last month, said the former Duke of York has become increasingly reclusive since his arrest in February.
Mr Lownie told the Herald Sun: "He's a rather pathetic couch potato and is not very good at interacting with people." The King's younger brother is likely lying low and playing a "waiting game" while police investigations continue, Mr Lownie added.
"He is doing sort of what he's always done, which is watch TV and sit on the sofa in his dressing gown," he said. "But he's not really engaging. He used to go riding, he used to have shooting parties, he used to see his family. I think the really sad thing is that his family seem to have disowned him."
Andrew Lownie released an updated version of his biography of Andrew last month. "There are no obvious visits [from daughters Eugenie and Beatrice] and he learnt about the birth of his new grandchild through his ex-wife, not his daughter," Mr Lownie continued. "There are clearly very fractured relationships there."
Andrew was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office over his connections with late sex paedophile Epstein on February 19, before being released under investigation. The police inquiries relate to his time as the UK's special representative for international trade and investment, from 2001 to 2011, when he stepped down amid controversy over his friendship with Epstein.
The former prince has been stripped of his titles by the King as a result of the ongoing scandal. He has denied any wrongdoing over his links to the late sex offender.
It comes after director of public prosecutions Stephen Parkinson said the investigations could take over a year "because of the complexity and the international dimension" of the case. "I really don't think that anyone should expect an early resolution of the investigation," he told reporters earlier this month.
