It was meant to be a happy occasion for all the family to get together, but the royals’ yearly Balmoral holiday has turned into a disaster with Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson both fleeing the castle.
The timing of the annual vacation could not have been worse. Amid Prince Andrew’s alleged involvement in the lurid activities of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as well as the Duchess of York’s questionable business dealings with a Hong Kong businessman, New Idea has learnt exclusively that the Queen has called an emergency royal summit.
WATCH: Prince Andrew pictured inside Jeffrey Epstein’s mansion
“The Queen must have thought she had left scandals involving Andy and Fergie way in the past, but they have both let her down again,” says royal commentator Phil Dampier. “History is repeating itself.”
Despite putting on a united front for assembled cameras, when the news broke about Andrew’s former friend’s suicide in a Manhattan prison, the royal family began to close ranks.
“The Queen may have been smiling in the car with Andrew at church on Sunday morning but behind the scenes she will be deeply troubled,” adds Dampier. “She will hope this goes away but it’s the last thing she needs at 93.”
Despite being only midway through his planned stay, Andrew hastily left the castle and was spotted boarding a private jet at Aberdeen airport.
His speedy exit prompted debate that the Queen may be now trying to distance herself from her once favourite son.
“Andrew is way down the pecking order so if he was stripped of his title it wouldn’t matter,” a royal insider tells New Idea.
The prince’s relationship with convicted sex offender Epstein – who died by suicide earlier this month in a Manhattan jail while facing charges of sex-trafficking minors – has long been an embarrassment for the royal family.
While one of Epstein’s alleged victims has named Andrew in her testimony, Buckingham Palace has strongly denied any wrong doing of the prince stating, “any suggestion of impropriety with underage minors is categorically untrue”.
“Andrew was always taking a risk getting involved with Epstein but he ignored advice and now it has come back to haunt him,” says the insider.
“The idea of him appearing in court in the US, even as a witness, would terrify the Queen.”
Meanwhile, Sarah also found herself hightailing it out of Balmoral and reports emerged that she had whisked Andrew away to their favourite Spanish private resort Sotogrande, without their daughters Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, to no doubt hide Andrew away from the story.
A source told The Sun, “The Duchess insisted she go on holiday with the Duke to look after him and show the world she stands by him” all but confirming their reunion.
This came on the back of revelations that she had been receiving payments from Johnny Hon amid reports the Hong Kong tycoon was “buying influence” in royal circles, which he has since denied.
It’s another blow for the Queen, who eagerly awaits the family get-together.
“Her annual holiday in Scotland is supposed to be a well-deserved rest and one of her best times of the year but she is mortified by Andy and Fergie’s antics,” a royal insider reveals.
“It’s all turned into a nightmare for the Queen.”
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