Prince Andrew has become Queen's ‘tower of strength’ after Megxit even if he's 'finished' in the public eye
Royal insiders have revealed how the 'disgraced' Prince Andrew has become the Queen's "rock" during the ongoing Megxit crisis. But could this be his act of redemption?
The Duke of York may be looking for a clean slate after being forced to step down from public duties last year following his trainwreck BBC interview where he failed to show empathy to victims of billionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein—his longtime pal.
However, he was pictured attending the church with his mother at Sandringham on Sunday after the monarch finalized an agreement for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
Over the last two weeks, the scandal-scarred royal has reportedly been his mother's "tower of strength" as she dealt with her grandson and his wife's decision to step back from royal duties.
“Andrew has been talking to her constantly on the phone and has now gone up to stay with her for a few days," a senior royal source told The Sun. “He obviously has spare time on his hands but he would have been there as a shoulder to cry on anyway."
“He sees a lot of the Queen at Windsor, probably more than any other royal, and he is her rock at the moment," the source added. “Behind the scenes, we are talking about a family falling apart and Andrew is doing his best to shore things up."
The source said that although Andrew "may be finished in the eyes of the public,” he felt it was his duty to help his 93-year-old mother and father Prince Philip deal with the ongoing ordeal.
The 59-year-old royal, also known as the queen's "favorite son," had been keeping a low-profile ever since his accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre, 36, doubled down in an explosive BBC interview saying she had sex with him at least three times after being trafficked by Epstein.
According to the source, Andrew was "kicking himself" for his behavior during the Epstein affair.
“It has taken him a while but he has finally realized what a fool he has been and he is beside himself with remorse," the royal insider continued. “He knows he has let the Queen and the monarchy down and it’s going to be very difficult for him to regain the public’s respect. He wants to do as much as he can to make it up to his mother."
According to the source, both Prince Charles and Prince William have told him there is no way back "for the time being."
“If he hadn’t made such a dreadful mistake he would now be a leading senior royal helping the Queen and stepping into many of the causes and patronages that Harry and Meghan will probably abandon," they said. “But as things stand he can only take a backseat role."
The insider said the prince is "immensely loyal" and a "team player" as he was in the Navy, despite his other failings.
“He is a proud father and he would like his daughters Bea and Eugenie to take up some of the royal slack, but that doesn’t seem to fit in with Charles’s desire for a slimmed-down monarchy," the source added. “Andrew thinks his daughters could do a superb job with the day-to-day stuff and the Queen is very fond of them, but the levers of power are shifting.”