Defiant Andrew breaks cover hours before new Newsnight chat drama drops (original) (raw)

Prince Andrew breaks cover on horseback hours before new car crash Newsnight chat drama drops

Prince Andrew was seen out riding in Windsor today and waving to onlookers - just a day before another dramatisation of his disastrous BBC Newsnight interview hits screens

Prince Andrew out riding in Windsor this morning

Prince Andrew has broken cover - just hours before yet another drama series focusing on his disastrous Newsnight interview hits screens.

The disgraced Duke of York was spotted this morning out riding in Windsor alongside a companion and was even seen waving at passers-by. He was seen enjoying the exercise close to his Royal Lodge home before heading back to his residence in his car. His appearance comes just weeks after he returned from the royals' annual break from Balmoral and just hours before the Amazon Prime series A Very Royal Scandal drops on the streaming service.

The series will see Michael Sheen as Andrew and Ruth Wilson as Emily Maitlis and will explore the build-up and aftermath of the Duke of York's car crash chat, where he discussed his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Andrew waved to passers-by (

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Andrew was spotted close to his Windsor home (

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When the interview aired back in November 2019, it sent shockwaves around the world with Andrew declining to say he regretted his association with Epstein, memorably recalling a visit to Pizza Express and claiming he was medically unable to sweat.

In the days immediately after the interview was aired, the Duke's life began to unravel and now it looks very different to the one he once enjoyed. He now plays no role in royal public life and is seemingly currently embroiled in a row over his crumbling Royal Lodge home.

It has been reported that King Charles had decided to lay off the property's 10-man team to put more pressure on the Duke of York to leave the home. Charles has been funding private guards at the Windsor property ever since Andrew's armed cops were removed in 2022.

He has lived at the 31-room property in 98 acres of grounds on the Windsor estate, for more than 20 years after signing a 75-year lease. He is based there with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, and his friends say that due to his lease, he has no reason to give up the residence.

Michael Sheen as Prince Andrew and Ruth Wilson as Emily Maitlis in A Very Royal Scandal (

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(Image: AMAZON PRIME))

But he may soon be forced to leave the house with Charles reportedly telling the security team they are no longer needed at the lodge once their contract ends in the autumn. A Palace insider weighed in on the issue saying that "it isn’t a secret that the King wants him out" after reports that the Duke of York has become a "bit of a recluse".

The insider told The Sun: "Everyone is speculating this means the Duke will have to leave the Royal Lodge because what other reason could there be to take his security away? They are all working the final weeks of their contract till the end of October. It’s not thought anyone is being lined up to replace them."

Andrew is understood to have told the King that he intends to 'see out' the 55 years left on a lease he signed at the £30million mansion two decades ago, despite being encouraged to move into the nearby Frogmore Cottage, which is currently vacant after being home to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

With no royal duties to perform since being stripped of his honorary titles and patronages in 2022, the 64-year-old Duke is now reported to be occupying his time with a few select hobbies, including horse riding around Windsor Castle mews and playing golf. But one more recent hobby - watching live plane traffic from around the world on a projector screen - is a little more unusual.

Andrew faces mounting costs in his efforts to try and stay put at Royal Lodge, and he has also been forced to meet the upkeep costs of the 19th-century Grade II listed house, including a recent bill of £200,000 for roof repairs.