Charles blindsided and Andrew in a cell: Inside the biggest royal crisis since Diana ...Middle East

The King had no advance warning that the police were about to raid the Sandringham estate and arrest his brother but they knew it was coming.

Inside the palace there had been a growing expectation that the police would come calling with so many forces investigating Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and front rank politicians calling for him to be questioned.

In the past 10 days there has been a noticeable change in the mood music at Buckingham Palace as Charles and his advisors have vowed to cooperate with any police investigation. They recognised the severity of the allegations against Andrew, the mounting evidence from the US Department of Justice Epstein files and the public clamour for justice.

Their growing realisation that the severity of the crisis was threatening the future of the monarchy itself helped prompt the first personal statement by the King in which he said: “Let me state clearly: the law must take its course.”

The monarch may have stated the obvious and not much beyond it but there had been growing pressure for him to say something to address the nation on the crisis. “Sometimes you just need to state the obvious to make the position clear,” one senior royal source said.

But in a sign of the difficult position the monarch finds himself in, he could end up technically prosecuting his own brother if Andrew is charged with misconduct in public office after his arrest in Norfolk by Thames Valley Police.

In English law criminal cases are brought in the name of the monarch, who is the source of judicial authority and is immune from prosecution. Andrew, the first member of the Royal Family to be arrested in modern times, enjoys no such immunity.

The monarch may also end up having to pay his legal fees if the former Duke of York is as penniless as some royal sources have suggested – though he will be keen to avoid any suggestion that he is interfering in the legal process.

The King loves his brother, almost 12 years his junior, and has sought to help him down the years. But they have never been particularly close and he has become angry and frustrated by the damage that the Epstein scandal has inflicted upon the monarchy over the past 15 years.

‘Charles wasn’t listened to’

He was equally frustrated by his mother the late Queen’s willingness to turn a blind eye to Andrew’s weaknesses and long argued for tougher action against his brother while she was still on the throne. Some close to the King said that, although she forced her middle son to step down from royal duties and grudgingly took further steps to distance the monarchy from him, it was never enough for Charles.

“He wasn’t listened to, unfortunately,” a friend said previously, pointing similarly to his protracted efforts to persuade his brother to vacate his 30-room Windsor mansion, Royal Lodge, before it finally happened earlier this year. “He hoped that Andrew would come to his own decision. Pressure was applied but it never happened.”

Even before the Epstein scandal became a constant source of lurid headlines, some senior royal sources predicted Andrew would have no official role when Charles became King.

In combatting the biggest crisis to face the monarchy since the death of Diana, Charles has sought to navigate a difficult path. Initially when he became King he brought Andrew back into the fold a little at family gatherings. His ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, long banished because Prince Philip could not bear to be in the same room as her, was even invited to spend Christmas with the family at Sandringham.

At the same time he was keen to separate Andrew from the rest of the institution and its official work but that has grown increasingly difficult as the revelations have mounted and critics have asked what did the family and the palace know and when did they know it.

Some former aides have admitted they were told as early as 2007 that Jeffrey Epstein was bad news and needed to be kept away from Andrew but at the same time emails published in the US Department of Justice files have shown that Andrew and his staff at the palace were dealing with the convicted paedophile financer long after he claimed to have cut off all contact.

Forced into further action, Charles stripped Andrew of his royal titles and honours in late October and persuaded him to quit Royal Lodge, where he paid a peppercorn rent. He hoped that would be enough but it has failed to quell the calls for police and parliamentary investigations and it has cast a shadow over the work of the Royal Family.

Claims about Andrew and his friendship with Epstein have long been the elephant in the room. In an era when the emphasis on the work of royalty has gradually transformed from ribbon-cutting to campaigning, Queen Camilla and Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, have focused much of their royal careers on supporting the victims of sexual violence, trafficking, and domestic abuse.

The Princess of Wales too has met trafficking victims in Britain and abroad. Andrew’s younger daughter, Princess Eugenie, has also led a charity campaigning against modern slavery, despite not undertaking official work on behalf of the monarch, but has consistently refused to discuss how that sits with her father’s record.

It was, according to courtiers, awkward for all of them to be standing there showing support for abused women while Andrew faced accusations of sleeping with Virginia Giuffre, a young woman who before she took her own life in April said she had been trafficked around the world by Epstein. She also said she was allegedly forced to have sex with the then Duke of York when she was 17 and he was 41, claims which he has strongly denied.

Camilla, who has always been his key advisor behind the scenes, has been particularly influential in pointing out how it was undermining her work. “The Queen is passionate about that part of her work. She has never felt comfortable about this and nor has the King,” one senior royal source said.

Until 10 days ago, the palace was trying to hold a line, that the King had done everything possible and nothing more needed to be said but that position has changed significantly now.

Royal sources have suggested he is now open to Parliament bringing in legislation to remove Andrew from the line of succession and his position as a counsellor of state ready to stand in for the monarch.

Only an Act of Parliament can remove Andrew’s title of Duke of York, although he cannot in practice use it after being cut from the roll of the peerage. Whereas before, Charles – perhaps fearing opening up the possibility of other royals such as Harry and Meghan facing the axe – argued that legislation would be a waste of Parliament’s time, he is now said to be open to it.

The King appears ready to throw Andrew to the wolves but some palace officials and others may now also face police questions if the royal files are opened up to investigators.

Your next read

Royals ignore questions on Andrew’s arrest – as more police arrive at Royal Lodge

Our six-year-old is British – but new border rules could block her return to the UK

‘The clock is ticking’: What next for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor after arrest?

Trump’s erratic ranting shows his plan for war is close

This crisis may also prompt a wider royal reset, including a review of the titles and styles given to members of the family who have their own careers and do not undertake official duties on behalf of the monarch.

Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty Magazine, said Andrew and Fergie’s daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, would never be working royals. “Do they need the styles and titles?” he asked, although he noted they had not been found to have done anything wrong.

“The number of working members of the family has slimmed down naturally but there are other questions about the future,” he added. “It’s very difficult to explain to people why they need so many properties that they only use for a few weeks in the year.”

Hence then, the article about charles blindsided and andrew in a cell inside the biggest royal crisis since diana was published today ( Thursday 19/02/2026 - 09:26 PM ) and is available on inews ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.

Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Charles blindsided and Andrew in a cell: Inside the biggest royal crisis since Diana )

Also on site :

• Russian government hackers broke into thousands of home routers to steal passwords
• Protesters in Iraq swarm Kuwaiti consulate after deadly rocket attack
• Money Has Always Ruled the TV Industry. Greed Is Pushing It to Collapse