CONCERNS are growing within the Royal Family about the increasing pressure on the Queen as the monarchy is plunged into crisis over Prince Andrew.
The 93-year-old monarch — who went riding at Windsor Castle yesterday — has been struggling without the companionship of Prince Philip, 98.
He is staying at Sandringham as he significantly scales back his private activities following a “wobble” a few weeks ago.
It comes as:
- Charities and business sponsors such as KPMG start ditching the Duke as they sever close ties
- He faces more allegations after Jeffrey Epstein's "sex slave" gave BBC interview
- Pictures of him partying with women emerged despite claims he avoids PDA
Adding to the Queen’s woes — in what is shaping up to be her second “annus horribilis” — is the fact that Prince Charles is on tour in New Zealand.
And not only is the heir to the throne not on hand to help deal with the fallout from Andrew’s Newsnight interview, his team at Clarence House are likely to be furious that the TV debacle has overshadowed the tour.
On Monday night a royal source revealed: “The Queen is under strain. She’s telling everyone she’s fine because that’s what she does.
“But she’s 93 and it’s obvious this is going to take a real toll, so everyone is incredibly concerned.
“A couple of years ago she seemed very content. Charles and Camilla were sorted, William and Kate were doing well and then Harry finding a wife. But now her problems are piling up, both inside and outside the family.
“She’s trying to hold a country together post-Brexit and the Scottish independence referendum.
“And now the crisis over Prince Andrew follows all the heartache over her grandsons.
“It’s certainly going to be a strange Christmas for her — and does she really deserve this after all she’s done?”
ANNUS HORRIBILIS 2
The year has had echoes of 1992, which the monarch famously described as her “annus horribilis”.
Back then, Andrew separated from wife Sarah Ferguson, Princess Anne got divorced and Princess Diana revealed the problems in her marriage to Charles.
This year started with Prince Philip’s car crash, continued with the rift between Harry and William and spiked with Andrew’s disastrous interview last weekend. The Queen’s control over her family has also been questioned in recent months as Charles tries to step up his power at Clarence House.
But he has not received overwhelming support from his brothers Andrew and Edward or his sons William and Harry.
As the Sun revealed on Sunday, the Queen is continuing to stand by Andrew, who she went to church with on Sunday morning — just hours after his car-crash BBC interview with Emily Maitlis.
He told his mother he believed the tell-all had been a “great success” — despite international outrage over his failure to express remorse over his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.
Royal sources are also rallying around Andrew, telling the Evening Standard on Monday that the Queen and other senior royals supported his decision to take part in the interview.
They said they “back and believe” his answers on TV “100 per cent” and there is “absolutely no question” he will be forced to scale back his royal duties.
QUEEN'S STRUGGLE WITHOUT PHIL
As the Queen navigates her way through the crisis, she is without her beloved husband by her side.
The couple, who celebrate their 72nd wedding anniversary tomorrow, instead speak on the phone every day as she gets on with her extraordinary workload.
The insider explained: “A few weeks ago Philip had a bit of a wobble and hasn’t felt so energetic.
“He has been living quietly at Sandringham, where he spends most of his time reading and pottering about.
“Until recently he has been very active — carriage riding, fishing at Balmoral and driving around royal estates — although he no longer drives on public roads following his crash in January.
“His mind is as sharp as ever. However the sad reality is that the Queen is more isolated. They are both making an extraordinary personal sacrifice for the country.”
The Sun Says
PRINCE Andrew’s staggering self-destruction on TV has exposed a Royal Family driving off a cliff with no one at the wheel.
It seems unfair to urge the Queen, at 93 and after an exemplary 67-year reign, to take back control but she must.
Her supposedly favourite son, his image in shreds, now faces the further humiliation of being grilled by the FBI over his paedophile pal Jeffrey Epstein.
Andrew’s excuses were paper-thin, his denials ambiguous. He showed no empathy for Epstein’s victims and even tried to elicit pity for his own mental health.
Under the deluded misapprehension that he could clear the air and blithely plod on with his meagre duties, he managed to shame the family and make a bad situation infinitely worse.
Meanwhile his nephew Harry is freelancing almost equally recklessly.
He squandered all goodwill towards him and wife Meghan by hectoring us about our carbon footprint while globe-trotting in private jets and by fundamentally misunderstanding the contract between Royals and the paying public.
His war on the Press, partly for daring to point this out, is deranged.
The Princes are torching the Royals’ image, beyond Palace control. Public affection for the institution is in peril.
The Queen must get a grip on the entire family before damage is irreparable.
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Retired Philip has been staying at Wood Farm, a comfortable five-bedroom house on the Norfolk estate. The Queen and other family members — except Harry and Meghan — will join him at Sandringham for Christmas.
Another senior royal source said: “This year more than ever there is a need to come together because it could be one of their last Christmases together as a family.
“So it’s rather sad that Harry and Meghan won’t be there.”
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