Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has retreated from public life following his Royal Family demotion. Having left Royal Lodge in Windsor for a much more modest property on the Sandringham estate, the former Duke of York is rarely seen anymore. But according to one royal expert, the Royal Family is unlikely to ever "ostracize" Andrew "completely."
Speaking to GB News, royal commentator Rafe Heydel-Mankoo discussed Andrew's new normal, saying, "This situation...intersects family loyalty, public outrage, and then you've got the survival of the monarchy, so you have three competing elements there."
As for why the royals won't totally eliminate Andrew from their lives, Heydel-Mankoo shared, "It's clear that His Majesty [King Charles] and the rest of the Royal Family care about their brother, their uncle, their cousin."
The expert continued, "Despite everything that's happened, he is part of their family, and there's obviously always going to be concern for his well-being and for his security. But at the same time, the monarchy has to be protected, and he understands."
Ultimately, Andrew "cannot be completely ostracized" from the Royal Family, according to Heydel-Mankoo. Still, the ex-Duke of York is allegedly quite "entitled," the royal expert claimed.
"Andrew's always believed that he's entitled to taxpayer-funded security and his titles and everything else," Heydel-Mankoo told the outlet. "It doesn't appear that he still understands quite why he's in the position he is in."
Heydel-Mankoo continued, "It's quite clear that from the perspective of the Royal Family and for the monarchy, the privileges of protection are inseparable from public service and public legitimacy—and he's lost both of those."
Considering Andrew's involvement in the recent slew of Epstein files, he appears to have lost any remaining support he might have had. As such, there is seemingly no way back to royal life for the disgraced ex-duke.
