Ever since Queen Elizabeth II has passed, Prince Andrew has become King Charles III’s problem. The monarch’s younger brother has been one headache after another, but his latest scandal might impact Charles’ legacy if the royal family doesn’t address the situation swiftly.
The Duke of York reportedly has business ties to a Chinese national who is accused of being a spy, per the BBC. The 50-year-old man, who is only known publicly as “H6,” has been banned from the U.K., but not before the alleged spy “was attempting to leverage Prince Andrew’s influence.” Even though Andrew is no longer a working royal, he is still presenting problems for King Charles.
Now, the Daily Mail is investigating whether the problematic friend of Andrew’s is the person who is supplying funds for him to stay in Royal Lodge. King Charles recently cut off his brother’s yearly allowance and security detail that he was paying out of his personal accounts. Andrew suddenly found a source of income that was reportedly verified by “Sir Michael Stevens, the keeper of the privy purse, as coming from legitimate sources,” per The Times.
For King Charles, he doesn’t know how to punish his brother — all avenues have been utilized at this point. “Every sanction that can be imposed has been, but you can’t divorce or sack your brother from being your brother,” a palace insider told the Daily Mail. “There will always be a bond of blood, and all families often have difficult relatives to deal with. Of course, it is understood that it looks bad for the entire family but that is because of one individual.”
It appears to be quite a frightening situation. The alleged secret agent reportedly had access to Buckingham Palace twice as well as St. James’ Palace, and Windsor Castle, according to the U.K. outlet. It’s an international crisis that is weighing heavily on King Charles’ legacy because he’s had feuds, health battles, and Andrew’s baggage ever since he took the throne.
The scandal is likely to affect Prince Andrew’s invitation to the royal family’s annual Christmas walk at Sandringham. “He has stood by Andrew for many years, but everyone has their limits. I can’t see the King wanting to walk to church with someone who was friends with a Chinese spy,” a source for The Daily Beast noted.
Prince Andrew may have finally worn out his welcome.
Before you go, click to see all the biggest royal scandals in the past 50 years.
