21 August 2023 , 00:14
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King Charles has invited Prince Andrew to Balmoral as a way to extend an olive branch in their relationship, it has been reported.
The Duke of York is said to be the first family member to join the King at the Highlands castle with insiders saying this is a significant move towards their improving relationship. The King was joined by his brother and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, who is recovering from a breast cancer operation, it was reported.
The meet-up comes after Andrew has managed to stay at the seven-bedroom Royal Lodge in Windsor, despite his older brother's attempts to have him move to Frogmore Cottage, which is now vacant after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle vacated it.
The 63-year-old Duke drove himself to the 50,000-acre estate on Royal Deeside while the Duchess of York travelled alone by flying to Aberdeen Airport.
They are said to be staying at the seven-bedroom Craigowan Lodge on the estate and could be joined later by their daughters Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie and their families. It comes nearly a year after the Queen died at the estate.
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An insider at the castle told the Daily Express: “It’s not a snub to be staying at the lodge rather than the main house.
“It is delightful and the Duke and Duchess can relax totally. It’s only a mile to the big house where family dinners and get-togethers will take place. The King and Andrew are now on much better terms and making him the first member of the family to join him is an olive branch.”
Insiders say it is unlikely Andrew will return to royal duties in the foreseeable future. Charles will be arriving at Balmoral today with Queen Camilla. He will be joined by the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh who will use the Garden Cottage, loved by Queen Victoria.
It is thought the Princess Royal and her husband Sir Tim Laurence will also attend and the Prince and Princess of Wales are due with their children later.
Insiders have stressed this isn't a "summit" but a proper "relaxing holiday". A source told the paper: “Everyone is looking forward to a relaxing holiday, not a working conference.
“The King wants to spend quality time with his grandchildren. He and William do talk of course, but they have pretty much agreed on the way forward for some time.”
It comes after palace aids told the Sunday Times that Charles has no desire for his brother “to come out of the freezer” after the late Queen Elizabeth II stripped her second-born son of his military titles and royal patronages during the civil suit for sexual assault allegations.
Andrew, 63, stepped down as a working royal after his car crash BBC Newsnight interview in November 2019, in which he denied regretting his relationship with billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. A reduction in his annual grant has raised questions as to how he will afford the upkeep at Royal Lodge in the coming years. But this doesn't seem to have deterred him.
A royal source told the paper: “Andrew is more of a long-term problem than Harry and Meghan. It feels like more stuff is going to come out on Epstein and there are still unexploded bombs there.” Prince Andrew agreed to a multi-million-pound settlement to sexual abuse accuser Virginia Giuffre to dismiss her lawsuit against him in March 2022. The Prince, who is eighth in line to the throne, strongly denied any wrongdoing.