Prince Charles is reportedly furious at his younger brother, Prince Andrew. His scandalous association with the pedophile Jeffrey Epstein has been hogging the headlines for months that it completely overshadowed the important issues the Prince of Wales is working on.
According to Russel Myers of the podcast series Pod Save The Queen, Prince Charles' royal tour had to take a backseatbecause of Prince Andrew's scandal. At the height of his trip to India, New Zealand, and the Solomon Islands, Prince Andrews' train wreck of an interview was aired on television. Prince Charles even visited a colony of endangered birds to check on its progress.
While Prince Charles tried to raise awareness on climate change and its impact on the world, the headlines focused on his brother's scandal. The fallout of that interview with BBC continues to hound the royal family weeks after it aired.
When he got back to London, Prince Charles went straight to Sandringham to discuss what to do with Prince Andrew with his father, Prince Philip. There were speculations that Prince Charles and Prince Andrew would have a heated exchange when they see each other face-to-face, but their actual meeting in Sandringham was reportedly civilized and calm.
Sources told The Sun that Prince Charles told his younger brother he would not be asked to resume his royal duties. The Prince of Wales was also instrumental in his brother finally stepping down. Prince Andrew effectively resigned from his royal duties on Nov. 20 as organizations tied to the royal family started withdrawing support.
Prince Philip also apparently told the Duke of York that he has to accept his punishment. After resigning from his royal duties, Prince Andrew needs to be away from the limelight to prevent more fury from the public.
Reports stated that Prince Charles is effectively taking charge of the family now. There have been speculations that he is making the major decisions on behalf of his mother, Queen Elizabeth, when she failed to quell Prince Andrew's controversy.
Because of this latest development, speculations have risen that Prince Charles will finally ascend the crown in 2021 as Queen Elizabeth is said to be planning her retirement. She will be 95 years old in 18 months.
However, Clarence House issued a statement to categorically deny the retirement rumor. A representative of Prince Charles said that there are no arrangements for Queen Elizabeth to step down when she's 95 or whatever age.
