Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former Duke of York, is living a dramatically diminished life with “lots of time to fill,” after he was banished from the royal family, a royal expert has claimed. In October, Andrew agreed to no longer use his Duke of York title before the King went a step further a fortnight later and dramatically stripped him of both his right to be a prince and his dukedom, making Andrew a commoner for the first time.
The 65-year-old, who was ordered to stop using his HRH style by his mother Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, now faces a day-to-day existence far removed from the public and ceremonial life he once enjoyed. The ex-royal, who has largely disappeared from public view, is reportedly spending much of his time alone at Royal Lodge, with little to occupy his days, according to royal commentator Simon Vigar.
Speaking on Royal Confidential, The Sun’s royal editor Matt Wilkinson questioned what Andrew now does with his time. “It also makes me wonder what he’s actually doing. We only ever see him horse-riding. There was a long article in the Telegraph this week — my colleague Hannah wrote a really good piece asking what he actually does. I think she described him as a bit of a couch potato, sitting at Royal Lodge watching television,” Wilkinson said.
Even past hobbies, such as shooting, a traditional part of royal family life, have been curtailed. “I think he used to watch flights, tracking them on flight radar. What does he do now if he can’t go shooting?” Wilkinson added.
Simon Vigar, royal correspondent for Five News, described Andrew’s current situation as leaving him with “lots of time to fill,” a stark contrast to the busy schedule of public engagements and royal duties he previously held.
“There is obviously an element of tragedy. I don’t expect people to feel sympathetic for him, but there is a tragic element to this,” he said. Vigar recalled Andrew’s former prominence, stating, “In happier days, he was known as the Duke of Golf. I’m not sure how many golf clubs he’s a member of anymore. But it’s a lot of time to fill.”
Vigar added that some clubs are now removing Andrew’s name from their memberships. “People just want to be disassociated from him,” he said.
According to The Telegraph, Andrew now spends his time riding, shooting, playing golf, or watching television. He neither drinks nor smokes and is rarely seen dining out. “He watches a lot of TV — he’s always done that,” one source told the newspaper. “He’s always been a bit of a couch potato.”
Although the former prince still hosts shoots at Sandringham, “nobody visits him anymore.” According to his biographer, he feels “abandoned and embittered.”
Andrew’s diminished role follows years of scrutiny over his ties to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein and allegations that he sexually assaulted Virginia Giuffre, which he strongly denies.
Ms Giuffre died by suicide in April. Her posthumous memoir, Nobody’s Girl, and the release of documents and emails relating to Epstein this year have only intensified the focus on the late Queen’s second son.