King Charles ‘saved from fresh public humiliation’ as Andrew avoids major pre-Christmas royal event: ‘Keeping his head down’
King Charles has been spared fresh “public embarrassment” after Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson opted to skip the traditional pre-Christmas royal lunch at Buckingham Palace, according to a royal commentator.
Sarah Louise Robertson told GB News that the Duke and Duchess of York decided to “keep a low profile” following recent controversies.
“Sarah Ferguson herself said, let’s not make any protests, keep our heads down, let’s not bring further embarrassment and cause trouble to the King and to the rest of the Royal Family,” Robertson explained.
The annual gathering, a tradition established by the late Queen to bring the extended Royal Family together before Christmas, saw several notable absences this year, including the Prince and Princess of Wales.
However, the decision by Andrew and Sarah Ferguson to stay away came in light of recent events that had brought further “embarrassment” to the Royal Family, Robertson claimed.
“Given obviously what’s unfolded over the last week, further embarrassment that Andrew’s heaped on the King and the Royal Family, they decided that they should keep a low profile,” Robertson explained.
Robertson noted that while the King loves his brother, Andrew remains “this adversary in the king’s side.”
Addressing any possible conflicts between the royal brothers ahead of the Christmas festivities, she added: “I think Charles is very polite, and I think in these situations, courtiers and other people do that chastising for him.”
The Duke of York’s Christmas plans will also see a departure from last year’s arrangements, according to Robertson.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
- Harry and Andrew ‘will not be stripped of major royal responsibility’ to avoid worsening feuds
- King arrives at Buckingham Palace event after Kate and Andrew drop out
- Beatrice may be ‘forced to intervene’ with Andrew and Fergie’s plans
Robertson told GB News: “We won’t be seeing Andrew on the royal walkabout, and he’s not going to be staying in Wood Cottage this Christmas like he did last year.
“He’s going to be staying at Royal Lodge with Sarah Ferguson, and their two daughters are both spending Christmas with their in-laws.”
Looking ahead to the new year, Robertson claimed that there will be “mounting pressure” on Prince Andrew to move out of Royal Lodge and into a smaller estate, following the “spy” allegations against him.
Robertson suggested: “I think next year we’re going to see more pressure heaped on Andrew to move out of Royal Lodge and to go into a smaller property on the Windsor estate.
“It’s not like he’s going to be left out in the cold, homeless, so to speak. And like other people, he’s not being turfed out onto the street.”
Discussing the impact of the latest scandal on King Charles, Robertson concluded that the monarch may have to “address” the situation between himself and Andrew directly.
She concluded: “It’s probably a shame for him that this has happened yet again, and there’s an ongoing situation that the King at some point is going to have to address.
“I think something’s going to have to give, and if Andrew is serious about showing his brother and the royals and Britain that he is sorry for situations that he’s at the centre of, this would maybe go some way to apologising and doing that.”