Since Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's move to Sandringham, public sightings of him have been few and far between. He has been stripped by the King of his right to be a prince and his title as Duke of York over his association with convicted paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein. Andrew denies any wrongdoing.
While he is not believed to have seen his older brother the King or nephew, Prince William, since his arrest on suspicion of misconduct in a public office in February, it has been suggested he has been in contact with his other siblings, Princess Anne and Prince Edward.
Edward and his wife Sophie are said to have visited him at Wood Farm over the Easter break for dinner in what has been described as a 'brotherly welfare check'. It is also understood that Anne, who has faced protesters at events shouting about her brother and his connections to Epstein, has been in phone contact with him, with reports she even suggested he could move to her Gatcombe Park estate in Gloucestershire.
Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond believes there is a reason why it is the former Duke of York's older sister and younger brother stepping up for him. She told the Mirror: 'I think this is an illustration of the separation of the institution of monarchy and the royal family. The King and his heir, William, have a vested interest in protecting the monarchy - and feel they have a duty to do so. Andrew poses a threat to the good name of the monarchy, and so both Charles and William are keeping their distance. I’m sure Anne and Edward feel the same loyalty to the Crown, but they are also slightly more at liberty to keep in contact with their brother, Andrew. And it seems they are doing so.'
Edward became the first member of the Royal Family to publicly speak out on the Epstein scandal, saying it's 'really important always to remember the victims'. He made the remarks back in February when he was asked about it during an appearance on a panel at a conference in Dubai.
