Prince Andrew believes he has been treated more harshly than his nephew Prince Harry, according to a royal source. The claim comes as it emerges that King Charles has paid Andrew's £1.5 million Royal Lodge repair bill.
Andrew's complaint about Harry
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor believes there's some unfair treatment within the Royal Family, according to a source. The ex-prince has been frozen out of the Firm due to his ongoing association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and renewed sexual abuse allegations made by Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre.
The disgraced royal, who vehemently denies any wrongdoing, was stripped of his titles in late 2025, and was arrested in February 2026 on his 66th birthday. Thames Valley Police are still investigating Andrew on suspicion of misconduct in public office. It was alleged that he shared confidential trade and sensitive government information with Epstein while serving as the UK's special trade envoy between 2001 and 2011.
Despite the scandals, Andrew allegedly believes that there's another royal who should be getting it worse. A royal source told the Daily Mail: "He always has felt that his nephew has been treated leniently compared to himself, especially as Andrew has remained loyal to the throne and would never do anything that would cause trouble.
"That's very unlike Harry and Meg's stone-throwing and tittle-tattling across the Pond."
Harry and Meghan's move to California
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle moved to California to start a new life in early 2020, less than two years after tying the knot in Windsor, with controversial projects such as their Oprah Winfrey interview, Harry's memoir Spare and the release of their joint Netflix docuseries. Meghan had reportedly vowed never to set foot in the UK again, just months before the news of their shock UK return.
While Andrew may be out of the royal mix, it appears the big brother King Charles is still making sure he is looked after. It is understood that the monarch has paid Andrew's £1.5 million Royal Lodge repair bill. The funds is suspected to come from the King's private income, and will cover what his brother owes his former landlords, the Crown Estate.
Royal Lodge repair costs
The total penalty for "dilapidations" to the Royal Lodge cost a total of £1.8 million. However, it has been reduced by the £300,000 the ex-prince would have received for an early surrender of his lease.
Andrew moved out of the Royal Lodge to Sandringham following revelations of his friendship with Epstein. Charles had also used his own money to financially support his brother. Now that his lease on Royal Lodge has officially ended this October, the Crown Estate has revealed the terms on which it concluded, and confirmed that it has received the £1.5 million payment.
A Crown Estate spokesperson said: "The lease for Royal Lodge has ended and our focus now is firmly on its future use and the opportunities to generate additional financial value for the nation from its early return."
Despite Charles extending a helping hand, the source emphasises that we are still yet to see how estranged Andrew is from the Firm.
They said: "The true extent as to how far he is still being frozen out by his own family should become clear at Christmas where the optics of an isolated Andrew whilst the rest of the family party nearby is causing courtiers some jitters."
