Ex-Prince Andrew Leaning On Two Royals As Family Breaks Into Factions

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew, is reportedly relying on Princess Anne and Prince Edward as his two closest royal allies while divisions deepen inside the royal family in London and Windsor in April 2026, according to Page six's reporting on his post-titles life.

The ex-Prince Andrew, leaning on two royals, has become a focal point as senior members of the family continue to take sharply different approaches to his position.

Andrew was formally stripped of his royal titles and removed from royal duties in recent years, a process that has steadily reshaped how he fits into the monarchy's public and private structure. What remains, according to multiple reports, is a more fragmented family dynamic, with limited contact and personal ties appearing to matter more than institutional roles.

For starters, Andrew now lives away from Royal Lodge, having been relocated to Marsh Farm on the Sandringham estate. That shift, while practical on paper, has been widely read as another step in his gradual distancing from the core of royal life.

Princess Anne and Prince Edward Supports Ex-Prince

Among senior royals, Princess Anne and Prince Edward are described as the most consistent points of contact for Andrew. Princess Anne, 75, is reported to have called him on Christmas Day, a gesture seen as significant given how few public interactions have been acknowledged in recent years.

Anne is also said to have suggested he could stay at her Gatcombe Park estate in Gloucestershire during a period when his housing situation was uncertain. At the time, Andrew and Sarah Ferguson were being moved out of Royal Lodge, prompting speculation over where he would settle next. The suggestion has not been formally confirmed by Buckingham Palace, but it has been widely reported among inside sources.

Prince Edward, 62, has also remained in contact. Reports suggest he visited Andrew over the Easter weekend at Wood Farm, a quieter residence within the Sandringham estate. During that visit, he is said to have encouraged his brother to settle more firmly into Marsh Farm, with one account describing a 'quiet word' about moving forward with the relocation.

Family Rift in the Monarchy

Elsewhere in the family, King Charles III's position has been described as institutional rather than personal. When Andrew's legal issues intensified in earlier years, the King made clear that 'the law must take its course,' a line that has since been widely interpreted as reinforcing distance between the Crown and his brother.

Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, have also reportedly taken a more detached stance. According to royal commentary cited in the reporting, William previously expressed frustration over Andrew's 2019 BBC interview regarding his association with Jeffrey Epstein, with one royal author claiming it marked a 'red line' moment for the Prince of Wales.

Multiple outlets also describe the Prince of Wales as viewing Andrew as a reputational risk to the monarchy, with sources saying he supports maintaining a strict distance. William is widely reported to avoid any public association, and there are claims in commentary reporting that he has previously pushed for Andrew to be fully removed from royal life following earlier scandals. Catherine is also described in recent coverage as supportive of that boundary to protect the monarchy's public image.

What these accounts show is a family that is no longer responding to Andrew in a single, united way. Some royals still keep in touch with him in a personal capacity, but others only interact with him in a formal or official sense. Because of that, the royal household now looks divided into loose factions.

For the ex-Prince, Princess Anne and Prince Edward seem to be the closest remaining sources of support, offering him some sense of stability. But even that support is careful and limited. At present, Andrew is no longer carrying out royal duties and lives quietly at Sandringham.