Prince Charles and Prince Andrew have reportedly been a quarrelsome pair throughout their lives, but according to the Daily Beast, it is now so bad between the men that they have not spoken to each other in months.
Prince Andrew is in a bit of a mess after being accused of sleeping with a teenager his former close friend, convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, "provided" him, according to the Daily Beast.
Despite rumors from friends of the royals that Andrew is the queen's favorite child, Andrew has always resented playing spare-part ruler to his brother 10 years his senior, according to the Daily Beast. Charles, described as "self-centered," by the Daily Beast, does not possess the queen's patience for the dalliances of his brother. "No matter what Andrew did, he would always be forgiven," a source told the Daily Beast.
Charles has not invited Andrew to private dinners. Charles has not been invited to Andrew's family events, despite Bea and Eugenie's friendship with cousin Harry, according to the Daily Beast. A newer wound - or "coup" as Andrew has called it, according to the Daily Beast - occurred after the Jubilee celebrations in 2012 when Andrew was not allowed to join the senior royals on the Buckingham Palace balcony. Police protection for Andrew's family was also revoked, as part of Charles' "slimmed-down monarchy."
So why aren't the royal forces rallying around Andrew? "The pond is so polluted that there has been no incentive to give or seek succor on either part," a source told the Daily Beast.
"You need, in a show, to have enough stars that if one falls down and breaks an ankle, someone else can step in and the show goes on," said Lady Colin Campbell, the author of "The Real Diana." "I know as a fact through a mutual friend of mine with both princes (Andrew and Prince Edward) that they strongly feel that Charles has been diminishing their role. My understanding is that both Andrew and Edward are very concerned about the diminution of their roles - and in my view Charles is mistaken in his strategy. It may play well in the short term, but it is folly. In the long term it could be fatal."
Edward was ordered to give up his career in TV production for being a "full-time royal," according to the Daily Beast. The family thought having a senior royal in a trade was an embarrassment.
