IF it wasn’t Prince Charles who actually pulled the trigger to sack wayward brother Andrew in the wake of the Epstein scandal, he certainly loaded the gun.
It was left to the Queen to deliver the ultimate coup de grace last week, banning the Duke of York from royal duties, possibly for ever.
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And the axing of her favourite son signalled what could be her last major act of a reign that is fast coming to a close with typical quiet dignity.
Now Charles, as king-in-waiting, is the one effectively pulling the strings to protect the Crown.
Yesterday, the 71-year-old flew back to Britain from a successful tour of New Zealand to take control of a Royal Family at breaking point.
His key role in Andrew’s brutal removal is the latest indication of a transition process from mother to son — from Charles as Prince of Wales to king and head of The Firm — that has been happening for some time.
The Queen is 93, and although sources say, officially, “regime change” and “regency” are banned words, there is a recognition that she cannot go on for ever.
Her Majesty will be 95 in 18 months — the age at which Prince Philip withdrew from public life — and there is renewed talk behind palace walls she will then as good as “retire”.
Charles took her place at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday and is attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Rwanda next year.
Gradually, while still being very hands-on, the Queen has cut down the amount of investitures she does, spending longer weekends at Windsor and reducing her public duties.
In 2018 she completed 283 engagements, down from 332 in 2016, while Charles undertook 507. Charles has stepped up, the king in all but name.
A well-placed royal source said: “Planning for Charles to become king has been going on for some time. A transition is plainly already under way. Her Majesty is in her nineties and can understandably only do so much.
'OPPORTUNITY TO STEP IN'
“The scandal surrounding Andrew and Epstein gave Charles an opportunity to step in to show that he can run The Firm. No one is bigger than the institution of the Royal Family. Not even Andrew, the Queen’s favourite son.
“Charles recognised that and acted decisively — like the king he may well soon be. This was the moment when Charles stepped up as Prince Regent, the Shadow King.”
Charles wants to use his new increased power to create a slimmed-down monarchy, bad news for Andrew and his daughters Beatrice and Eugenie.
But it is clear that while there are problems over Harry and Meghan’s future role, Charles is consulting closely with William over the future direction of the monarchy.
The source added: “Charles has had discussions with William. They both know what he wants to do with the kingship. There’s no doubt Charles will also be pulling Prince Harry and Meghan into line once they return from their private break.”
Courtiers say Charles’s crucial role in the Andrew saga was the moment he began to take control.
Despite being thousands of miles away in New Zealand, he immediately recognised the damage that day after day of headlines about his brother and the US billionaire paedophile were doing.
But as Buckingham Palace dithered, and with the Queen placed under enormous pressure without Prince Philip at her side, Charles acted. As Charles and Camilla landed in Auckland, the now notorious Andrew interview had yet to be screened.
But the Sunday papers revealed the full extent of the car-crash broadcast and Charles and his team watched the resulting firestorm with horror. Sources say Charles did not see the interview himself, relying on his private secretary, Clive Alderton, to deliver the damning assessment.
Andrew and his formidable private secretary Amanda Thirsk had hoped doing the Newsnight interview could turn the tide of criticism.
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When they heard that Virginia Roberts Giuffre — who claims she was forced to have sex with Andrew aged 17 and appears in a photo with him — had given an interview to BBC’s Panorama, they panicked.
Talks between the York camp and Newsnight were hurriedly brought forward, with Princess Beatrice helping her father. Andrew would try to get in first, to explain why he had visited Epstein in 2010, two years after the financier’s conviction for sex with a child, and say he had “no knowledge” of meeting Roberts.
Now questions were being asked of the Queen’s judgment in allowing him to do the interview. Was she too old, at 93, to lead the country when she couldn’t even control her own family? Was the long-reported preferential treatment of her second son to blame?
Weakened by the farce over Boris Johnson’s prorogation of Parliament and weak courtiers, had she lost her grip? Horrified by this body blow to the monarchy, Charles spoke by secure telephone to his mother.
In a scene that could have come straight from an episode of Netflix drama The Crown, Charles told her quietly: “Andrew has to go. It is the only way.” By all accounts the Queen was calm: She agreed.
The House of Windsor is nothing but ruthless when its very future is threatened. Not since Edward VIII had been forced to abdicate had a member of the family been made to resign.
Sources close to Charles say he did not speak to his brother directly, but made it clear to Buckingham Palace officials that he and the Queen were in agreement that, “this has to be done”.
Andrew, however, refused to go. He didn’t want to give up all the pomp and perks being a royal entailed, nor the £250,000 that came with his role.
'ANDREW HAS TO GO'
Even as late as last Tuesday evening, he was desperately clinging on despite patronages and backers deserting him. His “resignation” was meant to be permanent, but Andrew wanted a way back to royal life should he be cleared of any wrongdoing by a judge or the FBI.
A royal source said: “Despite all the headlines, Charles was sympathetic to his brother. He believed he was telling the truth and felt although he’d been, ‘an utter fool’, everyone deserves redemption.”
William supported his father’s actions while Harry and Meghan — themselves suffering the fallout of a disastrous TV interview — had been “aghast”.
So as Charles and Camilla betrayed not a hint of the scandal while they smiled and waved in front of the cameras in Auckland, the phone lines were red hot between New Zealand and the UK all through the night.
Clive Alderton even flew home from the tour to work with Edward Young, the Queen’s private secretary, and William’s private secretary Simon Case to make sure that Andrew backed down.
On the Wednesday, a compromise was reached. Andrew would go “for the foreseeable future” and the Queen delivered the blow on her 72nd wedding anniversary before giving Sir David Attenborough an award the same evening.
Andrew agreed to “step back” from his 200 or so charity patronages. He was out in the cold until such time as the public mood changes, or the FBI is satisfied over any connections to Epstein’s hideous crimes.
Although seen riding with the Queen, Andrew will not perform any public duties until Beatrice’s wedding next spring. He may never return. Charles is now in the UK after his visits to India, New Zealand and the Solomon Islands.
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A Palace source said: “As far as Charles is concerned he now regards the matter as dealt with, at least for the foreseeable future. He has no plans to see his brother at the moment or discuss things further. It’s closed.”
Arrogant Andrew remains beleaguered and bewildered by the speed of his sacking. He has learned the hard way that no one is above the institution. The monarchy — and now Charles — rule, OK.
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