Sources with knowledge of the situation said that King Charles may seek the assistance of Sarah Ferguson, who was previously married to Prince Andrew, in order to keep peace with his contentious brother.
According to Mirror, it was revealed in court documents that Prince Andrew had connections to a Chinese spy, who has now been identified as Yang Tengbo. This revelation caused Prince Andrew to make headlines the previous week.
After obtaining instructions from the government, the Duke of York asserted that he had "ceased all contact" with the businessman, who has rejected by his own admission that he is a spy. He also maintains that no secret information was shared during their conversation. It is after a turbulent year in which Prince Andrew and the queen have been at odds with one another on the occupancy of Royal Lodge that this comes to pass.
The idea that the King would ask Sarah Ferguson for help in order to keep his brother "out of the headlines" has recently been put forward. Given that King Charles is "not fond of confrontation," the Times suggested that the duke's ex-wife "might act as a bridge between the brothers." This made sense given that King Charles is "not fond of confrontation."
There have been numerous occasions when the Duchess of York has conveyed her affection for King Charles.
"I've known the King all my life and I absolutely adore him," she said. "He's kind and makes me laugh, and I love that he still calls me Fergie."
She even admitted that she wished the Royal Family "would ask me to do more" in a piece that she wrote for Relative Values (which was published in The Sunday Times). Even though it is "highly unlikely that any formal role would be offered" to Fergie, the Times reports that her talents could still be valuable to the company.
Geo reported that she might "help Andrew see sense" about moving out of Royal Lodge and onto a house like Frogmore Cottage, which "better suits" his status.
"If she could persuade her ex-husband to keep away from the camera lenses over the Christmas period, too, it would be the perfect present for Charles," the report stated. In spite of the fact that they divorced 28 years ago, Fergie and her ex-husband continue to maintain a shockingly tight friendship. They continue to live together and frequently appear in public together.
A substantial worry for the King could be alleviated if Prince Andrew could be persuaded to keep a low profile until the inquiries concerning his finances for Royal Lodge have been resolved. During the month of October, the King decided to stop giving the Duke of York a "pocket money" payment of one million pounds on a yearly basis.
Business Times has reached out to King Charles's team for comments.
