A Royal Family Under Strain: Inside a Difficult Year and the Quiet Reality Behind Prince Andrew’s Move

The year was meant to be one of stability following the harrowing events of 2024. Rather than stepping back in January, as his mother once did, the King immersed himself fully in his role.

Charles focused intensely on his official responsibilities, became the first reigning monarch to visit the Auschwitz concentration camp, travelled extensively across the country to meet the public, and hosted three inbound state visits at Windsor Castle.

“He’s certainly not let the grass grow under his feet,” says Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty magazine. “That in itself is a good sign that he feels able to do all these things.” Palace aides later confirmed that the King would return to a normal programme of engagements in 2025 despite continuing cancer treatment. Just days into the new year, the Princess of Wales also announced that she was in remission.

The King’s tireless approach to duty has seen him named the hardest-working royal, carrying out more engagements than any other senior member of the family this year.

Over the past 12 months, he completed an impressive 532 official engagements — 50 more than his sister, the Princess Royal, who traditionally tops the list.

By the end of the year, the Royal Family appeared to be regaining its footing after the upheaval of the previous 12 months — a period described as the King’s “annus horribilis”. It included the shock cancer diagnoses of two senior royals in quick succession, Princess Anne’s admission to intensive care following a head injury, and the sudden death of Thomas Kingston.

In March, the King was briefly admitted to hospital in what sources described as merely a “bump in the road.” Just days later, however, he was back on duty, embarking on a royal tour of Italy with his wife — a trip that coincided with the couple marking their 20th wedding anniversary while continuing their official engagements.

The pair then set off on a whirlwind visit to Canada, travelling around 3,350 miles for a trip lasting just 20 hours — an impressive undertaking for a man in his late 70s undergoing cancer treatment. Sources said his commitment to duty is unwavering, noting: “His dedication to duty means he just gets on with it. He won’t let us lighten his schedule.”

While the King was said to be “managing” his cancer relatively well, dealing with the ongoing controversies surrounding his younger brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, proved far more challenging.

As the Firm worked to present a united front and guide the nation through key moments — including the 80th anniversary of VE Day, marked by a packed weekend of royal engagements — one long-running family controversy once again resurfaced.

“Unfortunately, the whole year has been dominated by Andrew,” said respected royal commentator Phil Dampier. “Both the King and William are desperate to try to draw a line under it.”

A steady stream of damaging revelations about Andrew’s links to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein continued to dominate headlines. This included renewed claims from Virginia Giuffre, who alleged she was forced to have sex with Andrew when she was 17 — allegations he has always denied. The ongoing coverage increasingly overshadowed the work of senior members of the royal family.

The relentless front-page stories, including reports that Andrew had asked a taxpayer-funded police protection unit to “dig up dirt” on Ms Giuffre, reportedly became too much for the King to tolerate.

After the 65-year-old announced he would no longer use his Duke of York title, the King intervened and formally stripped him of his right to hold the title of prince.

The announcement effectively sidelined Andrew from royal life and led to him giving up his lease at Royal Lodge — the 30-room Windsor mansion where he had lived for more than two decades while paying only a “peppercorn rent.”

Joe Little believes the King was somewhat slow to act on the scandals and suggests the situation could have been addressed sooner — particularly as the decision was made just days before the Prince of Wales’s trip to Brazil for the Earthshot Prize, widely regarded as William’s most important week of the year.

However, the royal expert explains that the delayed response likely stemmed from Charles’s compassionate nature. Like his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, the King is said to find confrontation difficult.

But has the monarch now done enough to draw a line under the controversy? Experts remain unconvinced. Phil Dampier, who has more than 40 years’ experience covering the royal family, described the situation as “a problem that’s going to spill over into the New Year,” particularly with the continued release of Epstein-related files and the forthcoming paperback edition of Andrew Lownie’s explosive book Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, which thrust the former prince back into the spotlight earlier this year.

Mr Little agreed, saying: “Andrew will continue to resurface and be a nagging issue from time to time. It will take a very long time for this to be put to rest — if it ever is. A lot has been tidied up, but it’s never going to be completely resolved.”

One development expected to attract significant attention next year is Andrew’s move to a run-down farmhouse on the Sandringham Estate, as he publicly separates from his former wife, Sarah Ferguson, after nearly two decades of living together.

Sources have confirmed an earlier report that the former prince’s new residence will be Marsh Farm — a far more modest property that once functioned as a working farm.

A royal insider said: “The King is content for Andrew to move there, as it’s a considerable distance — around seven miles — from the main house.” However, the farmhouse is currently uninhabitable and will require major renovation work before anyone can move in.

Another source explained: “Around six months of renovation are needed before Andrew can relocate, and he is strongly resisting plans to live in temporary accommodation while the work is carried out — particularly as the suggested property is far smaller than Royal Lodge.”

Despite the frustration, there is little the King can do to speed up the process. Andrew is legally entitled to remain at Royal Lodge for another 10 months, having given a year’s notice on the property on 30 October — the same day it was announced that he had lost his royal titles.

Buckingham Palace has indicated that Andrew is expected to vacate the property in the first months of the new year, citing the legal complexities involved in ending the lease. Sources have stressed that the move will happen “as soon as possible and practicable.”

However, those close to Andrew insist he intends to delay his departure for as long as he can.

“He never wanted to leave, so he’ll do everything he can to stay as long as possible,” one source said. They added that he is unlikely to live at Sandringham full-time and is expected to spend significant periods abroad, largely due to business connections in the Middle East.

Royal commentator Phil Dampier shares that view, saying: “The reality is he will drag it out as long as possible because he doesn’t actually want to leave. I think it’s quite likely he’ll still be there in six months’ time. He’s in no hurry at all — the longer he can delay it, the more he will.”

It remains unclear where Sarah Ferguson will go next, though she is believed to have several options. These reportedly include moving into the granny annex of her daughter Princess Beatrice’s six-bedroom home in the Cotswolds.

With her final separation from the Firm coming three decades after her divorce from Andrew, there are concerns she may choose to sell her story now that publishing opportunities have dried up.

“She’ll try to reinvent herself once again and push forward,” Mr Dampier said. “Only time will tell whether it’s too late, but she will certainly try.”

When asked whether a tell-all memoir could be on the horizon, he added: “If she were backed into a corner, she would do it. She’s done it before, and she knows a great many intimate details about the Royal Family. That’s partly why the King, in recent years, tried to keep her close and almost treat her like a wife.”

In 2023, Sarah Ferguson was invited to join the Royal Family at Sandringham for Christmas for the first time in 32 years. She also accompanied her ex-husband to private royal occasions, including the Easter Mattins service at Windsor and the Duchess of Kent’s funeral in September.

However, due to both of their links to Jeffrey Epstein, it is considered highly unlikely that either will be publicly photographed alongside senior royals again, except at major funerals. Andrew’s presence at William’s coronation is even said to be in doubt because of the controversy it would spark.

Despite 2025 proving to be a turbulent year for the Royal Family — one that risked being overshadowed by the disgraced House of York — it was not without positive developments.

The King shared “good news” regarding his cancer, telling the nation that his treatment would be reduced in the New Year, while the Princess of Wales returned to a regular schedule of public engagements.

Prince George, now 12, has also begun a gradual introduction to royal life. He spoke with D-Day veterans in May, accompanied his mother to the Festival of Remembrance in November, and volunteered at a homelessness charity with his father just weeks ago.

The young prince appears to be taking on added responsibility with confidence and calm. Attention will soon turn to where he will attend secondary school, with William and Catherine reportedly divided between Eton and Marlborough College — their respective former schools.

Even Prince Harry appeared to adopt a quieter approach this year, despite an ill-judged interview following the loss of his security court case in May, in which he blamed the outcome on a “good old-fashioned establishment stitch-up.” He is now awaiting a review of his UK security arrangements after making a personal appeal to the Home Secretary.

Looking ahead, 2026 is shaping up to be another busy year for the Firm, with overseas trips to Washington, India, and Antigua and Barbuda reportedly under consideration. The Prince and Princess of Wales are also believed to be planning their first overseas visit since the troubled 2022 Caribbean tour — likely a short journey close to the UK.

Both the King and his heir are said to be relieved that the Andrew situation has been addressed and that clear distance has been established between the former prince and the rest of the family.

“It’s been another rollercoaster year,” Mr Little said. “But 2025 is ending on a very positive note — with improvements in the King’s health and the Princess of Wales visibly back at work and looking well.”

He added: “That’s a strong way to end 2025, and hopefully it carries into 2026. The King’s near annus horribilis ends on a note of optimism.”

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