PRINCE Andrew used to spend his days in almost unimaginable opulence, jetting around the world partying with billionaires as the UK’s official ‘trade envoy’.
But almost five years on from his nightmare Newsnight interview, he has become a virtual royal exile - stripped of his title, honours and taxpayer-funded income, and rarely allowed to show his face at official public events.
Instead, the disgraced royal fills his days with endless rounds of golf and slow plodding horse rides around Windsor - even though he’s always been afraid of horses.
For months, the Duke of York has been dreading today’s release of Scoop, a Netflix film that many believe could permanently end any hopes of a return to frontline duties.
The film is based on Sam McAllister's memoir, Scoops: Behind The Scenes of the BBC's Most Shocking Interviews, and tracks Andrew's disastrous Newsnight interview with the former BBC journalist Emily Maitlis.
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Andrew believed the bombshell chat was “going swimmingly", despite declining to say he regretted his links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, bizarrely claiming he could not have “sweated profusely” due to a medical condition and inadvertently immortalising Pizza Express in Woking.
Days later, following a national backlash, he sensationally quit public life "for the foreseeable future", though many believe he has been desperately seeking a way back ever since.
Revealing how Andrew - who is the brother of King Charles, Princess Anne and Prince Edward - spends his days, a royal source tells us: “Besides endless rounds of golf, the other activity that Andrew has had plenty of time for is horse-riding.
“This is a bit of an irony because unlike his brothers and his sister, Andrew has always been a bit nervous around horses. For example, he has never played polo or been hunting, both of which demand a high level of confidence.
“Even now, when he borrows a horse from the royal stables at Windsor, he never gets as far as a gallop when they hack around Windsor Great Park, sticking to gentle rides on quiet, dependable mounts, and he is always accompanied by one of the grooms from the stables, in case he should lose control.”
Andrew splits his time between Windsor and Balmoral, where he can keep out of public view and take advantage of the Scottish palace’s golf links.
In a fresh rift, he is said to be furious with a proposal from his brother to keep Balmoral open to the public for longer during the summer months, making it off limits to royals.
This came as the King was also rumoured to be looking to relocate Andrew to the much smaller Frogmore Cottage which was Harry and Meghan’s home before they relocated to Montecito, California.
Our source adds: “Anne has no particular ties with Balmoral, nor does Edward, although of course both of them have enjoyed being able to take their children there for summer holidays.
"The only one to raise an objection was Andrew, who has got used to spending weeks there, because he’s got nothing else to do.
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"During the last few years, which have been very tricky for him, he has squirrelled himself away; you can feel very well protected from prying eyes on a big estate like that.
"And of course Balmoral has its own private golf course. Which is his idea of heaven.”
Royal in exile
Andrew’s exile took effect immediately after the Newsnight interview aired in November 2019.
The following month he was noticeably absent from the royals making the traditional Christmas Day walk from the church back to Sandringham, having attended an earlier service away from the crowds.
Having stepped down as a working royal he was also forced to decline royal honour of being promoted to the rank of Admiral on his 60th birthday in 2020.
A Palace spokesperson said he "asked the Ministry of Defence if this promotion might be deferred until such time that His Royal Highness returns to public duty”.
But amid the rising public backlash in 2022, Andrew’s military titles and royal patronages were returned to the late Queen while he was also stripped of his HRH status.
He has been snubbed from all the major royal events including Trooping the Colour, Commonwealth Day and the Order of the Garter, and was banned by his mother from appearing on the balcony during her Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
Behind the scenes, Andrew has cut an isolated figure both in royal circles and even among his immediate family.
During the wedding of Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mozzi in summer 2020, Prince Andrew did not feature in any official images despite being father of the bride, which was believed to have been the decision of the palace.
His ex-wife Sarah Ferguson revealed he "thinks about grief a lot" and was "lonely" due to missing his parents following their deaths.
Earlier this year it was claimed his other daughter Princess Eugenie was ‘too embarrassed’ to spend her 34th birthday with him having moved to Portugal last year with her husband Jack Brooksbank.
While no official recognition took place for his 64th birthday in February and there was no public message from his brother, The King, who is said to keep his brother "at arm's length" and knows he will have to do so "forever more".
It’s not clear how much celebration took place at the Royal Lodge for his birthday but days later he was pictured on horseback nearby looking gloomy.
Meetings with monster Epstein
The Duke of York’s association with the infamous paedophile Epstein was what led him to initially give the interview to Maitliss, but it continues to haunt him even five years later.
During the sensational broadcast, he declined to say he regretted the friendship with Epstein and tried to rubbish accuser Virginia Guiffre’s claim that he perspired while they danced at a nightclub just before the alleged 2001 encounter.
Virginia claims she was used as a sex slave by disgraced financier Epstein and that she had sex with Andrew aged 17, which he has always denied.
The Prince insisted he could not have “sweated profusely” due to a medical condition he said he developed while serving as a Navy helicopter pilot in the Falklands War.
In 2022 Andrew paid a multi-million pound settlement to Virginia. The previous year, his close friend Ghislaine Maxwell was found guilty of sex trafficking, procuring and grooming minors for Epstein.
Despite the obvious lack of meaningful support for a return to public life, Andrew has made numerous attempts to return.
Notably, the last two Christmases he has been part of the Sandringham post-church walk.
At King Constantine of Greece's funeral in February he was said to have "taken the lead" and positioned himself as "leader of the Royal Family".
During the last few years, which have been very tricky for Andrew, he has squirrelled himself away; you can feel very well protected from prying eyes on a big estate like Balmoral
Royal experts even said he acted as "royal sheepdog" during the procession but his hopes were soon dashed and he pulled out of the Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey last month, suggesting he is back out in the cold.
Andrew’s efforts may all be in vain however as it is claimed Charles, Anne and Edward agreed Andrew should never return to public life, with one source stating: “There is no way in the world he’s ever coming back, the family will never let it happen.”
And Prince William, who is next in line to the throne, is reportedly no keener to allow his wayward uncle to return to public duties.
Royal editor Sarah Hewson said: "It's not going to happen. It's not going to happen. I think he has maintained that he wants to make a comeback and be a working member of the Royal Family, but it's just not going to happen.
It's certainly not going to happen with King Charles on the throne, and it's definitely not going to happen on Prince William's watch as well.
"They know that the damage has been too great and he's still a member of the family, and that's the line that they draw.
"He's a member of the family, he's involved in the family events, but we are not going to see him representing the Royals on official business."
