New reports suggest that Prince Andrew is not living the isolated life the public has been led to believe. The former Duke of York, 66, resides on the King's private Sandringham estate, but author Andrew Lownie claims the disgraced royal has been given the freedom to discreetly come and go, including a recent trip to France.
Claims of a 'carefully crafted illusion'
Gabriella Power, presenter of News24, formerly Sky News Australia, described previous reports of Andrew's supposed isolation as a 'carefully crafted illusion'. Columnist Louise Roberts argued that while Andrew has more freedom than people realise, King Charles is likely keeping him close to monitor him, fearing further damage to the institution.
Louise explained: 'Andrew Lownie is basically saying it's a bit of an establishment fudge that Andrew is sort of pretty much got his normal life, albeit not publicly. He can come and go as he pleases from Sandringham.'
Passport and travel
Andrew still has his passport, and Roberts noted: 'Although he was arrested on his 66th birthday he's never been charged. He's been released under investigation pending further inquiries.' The recent trip to France involved visiting a horse stud.
Louise suggested that Andrew could 'go rogue' and decide to take part in another interview, branding him 'capable of anything'. She added that publicly he is seen as ostracised, but privately he remains within distance so the royal family can keep an eye on him.
The claims follow the release of a new batch of Epstein files in January, which showed Andrew continued his friendship with the late financier after his imprisonment for child sex offences.
