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It’s been a masterclass in avoidance. For days King Charles has been pottering around the grounds of his Sandringham estate – at one point coming within just 3km of the farm occupied by his disgraced brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
And yet, there’s been no danger of an appearance on the doorstep of his sibling’s new home. No chance of him ringing the doorbell, clutching a hearty cheese platter and a bottle of red, asking to come in.
Indeed, while the King made time for a morning church service and a drive around the 20,000-acre property at the weekend, he made sure not to cross paths with the man who has plunged the British monarchy into crisis thanks to his ties to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
“Andy’s having a pretty lonely existence as his only visitors are staff, police and delivery drivers from Waitrose,” a source told The Sun.
“Even the King avoided Andy all weekend, despite staying two miles away and going out in his car nearby.”
However, Andrew did receive two other unexpected visitors – and there are rumblings that at least one of them passed on a secret message to Andrew from the King.
First up, on February 28, came a visit from the King’s own domestic chaplain, the Reverend Canon Paul Williams.
He went to see the former Prince just hours before greeting Charles at his Sunday church service.
“Canon Williams drove down the track to Wood Farm for a chat,” the source told The Sun. “The next morning he and Charles were seen having a good old friendly natter before the church service at Sandringham.”
So could there be more to the visit than meets the eye?
Royal biographer Andrew Lownie – author of Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York – suggested on TalkTV that the visit could suggest concern over Andrew’s mental health.
“That’s been a message from the palace for a long time… that he was on suicide watch,” the expert told the show.
“Everything I’m told from people close to him until very recently was that he still hasn’t really sort of understood the seriousness of what he did and his position.
“He’s more concerned about where he’s going to park his car than he is about the problems he’s in.
“So I don’t really see that at all, but it may be trying to send out a narrative that this man has repented and we’ll see him washing up dishes in the local old folks home.”
A second visitor, just two days later, had tongues wagging once more.
This time it was the unannounced arrival of Lord Richard Benyon, who serves as Lord Chamberlain of the Royal Household.
Regarded as the most senior figure within the Royal Household, the palace official looks after more than a thousand staff and liaises between Charles and the House of Lords.
His visit was seen as significant given that there is speculation the King may strip Andrew of his place in the succession order to the British throne (he’s currently eighth in line).
As an Act of Parliament is needed to alter the line of succession, it is perhaps a sign that talks on the matter are underway.
While it’s not clear what was discussed at the meeting – and it should be noted that Andrew denies any wrongdoing – it was clearly a detailed chat, given that Lord Benyon stayed for two hours before departing.
Meanwhile, amid questions about how much Charles knew of Andrew’s dealings over the years, there have been calls for him to abdicate and hand Prince William the task of giving the monarchy a fresh start.
It’s something royal insiders doubt William is ready for.
“I think the feeling is he [William] is not quite ready to step up,” Andrew Lownie told TalkTV.
“I think the line now is that Charles is… going to be the punch bag who absorbs all the scandals and then someone can come in with the clean slate later.
“I think one of the reasons William is spending a lot of time with his family is he knows that he may not be able to do that later on. But I think the feeling is he isn’t ready [to be King] both mentally and in terms of the preparations, and therefore Charles has got to keep going a little bit longer.”
