Andrew drove himself to the 50,000-acre state before Sarah later joined him. They are staying at the seven-bedroom Craig Owen Lodge, a favored accommodation by the Queen. Royal insiders are keen to emphasize that this arrangement is not a snub, clarifying that the pair chose to stay at the lodge instead of the main house.
This gesture from King Charles comes at a time when Prince Andrew has seemingly won a battle to remain in the seven-bedroom Royal Lodge in Windsor. Previously, the King had encouraged Andrew to move to Frogmore Cottage, the former residence of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. However, the King lacks the authority to force Andrew out of the 30 million pound Royal Lodge, and plans to relocate him have been shelved.
The decision to extend the olive branch to Andrew has raised eyebrows and sparked discussions about the King's intentions. Insiders suggest that Charles did not want his brother to be left in the cold, especially amid concerns over Andrew's association with the late convicted s^x offender Jeffrey Epstein. Some within the royal circle view Andrew's connection to Epstein as a long-term problem, overshadowing the controversies surrounding Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
Epstein, who served jail time in 2008 for procuring a child for prostitution and sexually abusing a minor, maintained a friendship with Andrew even after his release. The Duke of York faced scrutiny for his ties to Epstein, and his interview with the BBC in 2019 only added fuel to the fire. Andrew's association with Epstein's former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, also raised concerns.
Meanwhile, the fallout with Prince Harry is seen as a source of humiliation for the King. However, friends of the King assure him that public sentiment has shifted, indicating a decline in Harry and Meghan's popularity, particularly in the United States. Surveys conducted by Redfield and Wilton show significant drops in approval ratings for the Sussexes, with negative ratings of -10 for Harry and -17 for Meghan. Interestingly, despite the negative perception surrounding Prince Andrew due to the pedophilia scandal, his approval rating in the same survey was at -2 percent, higher than that of Harry and Meghan.
The King's decision to offer an olive branch to Prince Andrew has stirred both curiosity and controversy. While Meghan Markle is reportedly upset by the snub, the dynamics within the royal family continue to evolve amidst ongoing public scrutiny.
