PRINCE Charles planned the axing of Andrew in a “Game of Thrones” style move before getting the full backing of Prince William and then telling the Queen he must go, HOAR can reveal
The Prince of Wales decided over Christmas that Andrew had “run out of road” and should be stripped of all military titles, patronages and his HRH status to protect the rest of the Royal Family.
He sought counsel from William who was spending the holiday season with his family in Norfolk and got his son’s full support for the drastic manoeuvre, it can be revealed.
Wills, 39, and Charles, 73, told the Queen they had agreed “Andrew must go” after his New York sex abuse hearing earlier this month, sources told HOAR.
The 95-year-old Queen replied that she was “of the same opinion”, although sources say it was with a “heavy heart”.
Royal experts say Charles’ powerplay shows how he needs to “flex his muscles” to help the Queen now she no longer has her beloved Philip by her side. Once Andrew’s fate was decided, siblings Princess Anne and Prince Edward visited him at his 30-room mansion Royal Lodge last weekend where it is believed they warned of what was to come.
Armed with support from both of her successors the Queen pulled the trigger on Thursday lunchtime just 24 hours after Judge Kaplan ordered Andrew to stand trial for sexual abuse.
A source close to the action said: “The collective view was that Andrew was damaging the entire Royal Family.”
Prince Andrew, said to be the Queen’s “favourite child”, was left without any family support, it is understood.
Another source revealed: “Charles first decided that Andrew must go. He felt he’s just run out of road. So he discussed it with his son in the days between Christmas and New Year and William fully agreed with him.
“William and Charles then informed the Queen that they were of the same opinion.
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“Ultimately it was the Queen’s final decision but the Queen told them she shared their view. The Queen and Andrew had the final conversations on the matter on Thursday.”
A third source said: “William thought it needed to be resolved. His views were similar to Prince Charles’s in that it needed to be sorted out. He didn’t think the Duke of York was handling it well at all.”
The future King spent Christmas Day and Boxing Day at Windsor Castle with the Queen and up to 20 family members including Andrew where his case was “widely discussed”.
Days later he spoke with Prince William who was spending the holiday season with his family 150 miles away in Norfolk. Prince Andrew was locked down in Royal Lodge between Christmas and New Year preparing for a hearing in which he was attempting to throw the case out on a technicality.
He was left alone as ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, and his two daughters Beatrice and Eugenie and their husbands Edo and Jack, jetted to Switzerland.
They stayed in Andy and Fergie’s Verbier chalet which they are selling to recoup at least £10million to fund a potential settlement with Virginia Roberts Giuffre. Judge Lewis Kaplan gave Andy’s lawyer short shift in the one-hour case hearing on January 4 and the decision to press ahead to with a sex abuse trial announced on Wednesday was inevitable.
