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Prince Harry's blistering comments about his disgraced uncle are coming back to haunt him as Prince Andrew, now known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, finds himself once again mired in scandal. When Meghan Markle first joined the Royal Family following her marriage to Harry , there was genuine excitement, and the Sussexes, alongside Prince William and Princess Kate , quickly became known as the 'Fab Four'. Yet behind the scenes, the reality was far less rosy than appearances suggested. While Harry and Meghan conducted themselves impressively during official engagements, taking their public duties in their stride, they were privately battling serious difficulties. Meghan subsequently disclosed she suffered mental health struggles and even contemplated suicide. Their relationships with other senior royals were also deteriorating, with Harry acknowledging before their departure from the UK that he and his brother were on "different paths". Their announcement that they wished to step back from full-time royal duties sent shockwaves throughout the country. When the late Queen and her advisers determined there could be no 'half-in, half-out' arrangement for the pair, numerous privileges of their royal status, including their police protection, were promptly withdrawn. This is a stark difference from the treatment of the disgraced former Prince Andrew, who once more faces intense scrutiny over the multiple controversies surrounding him. In his memoir, the Duke of Sussex claimed that he and Meghan faced the same high "threat level" as the late Queen. So it's no wonder that it came as a complete shock to him when their taxpayer-funded security was withdrawn in 2020. At the time, the couple were residing in Canada with their young son, Prince Archie, and borders were closing in quick succession in an attempt to curb the spread of the escalating Covid pandemic. Their location had been publicly disclosed, leaving them feeling like 'sitting ducks' - but luckily, aid came from a surprising source. Hollywood bigwig, Tyler Perry, generously offered the Sussex family his private security team and his mansion as a temporary refuge. Yet, in his memoir, Harry disclosed that one of the main reasons he had reassured Meghan that their security would not be removed was the case of his scandal-ridden uncle, Andrew. King Charles ' disgraced younger brother withdrew from public duty in 2019, after a controversial Newsnight interview discussing allegations of sexual assault made against him by Virginia Giuffre, which he vehemently denies, and his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein . However, he kept his police protection, despite being embroiled in controversy. Harry, evidently furious about the ruling, stated in his memoir, "Despite being involved in an embarrassing scandal, accused of having sexually abused a young woman, nobody had suggested removing his security. People may have a lot of grievances towards us, but sexual offences weren't one of them." Reports suggest Andrew's police protection wasn't withdrawn until 2022, though the late Queen continued covering his private security costs. The King maintained this arrangement initially, before the monarch allegedly ceased funding it in 2024, in a bid to persuade Andrew to vacate Royal Lodge. Last week, it was confirmed that Andrew will vacate his residence at Royal Lodge, a 30-bedroom Crown Estate property, following his scandals tied to his past associations with the late Epstein. In addition, Charles is taking legal steps to formally remove his brother's royal titles, despite the duke already announcing he would voluntarily give these up, wth him now known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, rather than Prince Andrew.
