Princess Royal reportedly questioned her brother while struggling to balance family loyalty with growing controversy
Princess Anne is said to have privately confronted her brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, over his links to Jeffrey Epstein, even as she maintained contact with him following renewed scrutiny surrounding the scandal.
The claims come from royal expert Richard Kay, who discussed the situation in a piece for Mail Plus. In his report, Kay described what he called a “secret phone call” between the Princess Royal and her younger brother after developments linked to the Epstein files.
Kay noted that Anne is widely known for keeping her thoughts to herself. However, when she chooses to step in or speak out, it often signals that a matter has become serious within the royal family.
According to the expert, Anne had maintained what he described as a “sympathetic” and “tolerant” attitude toward Andrew until at least last Christmas. He claimed she made a deliberate effort to telephone Royal Lodge on Christmas Day while the rest of the royal family were gathered at Sandringham.
Despite that show of support, the Princess Royal has reportedly also been deeply frustrated by Andrew’s association with Epstein and the shadow it has cast over the monarchy. Kay said she questioned her brother directly about the controversy.
The report also claims that when discussions were taking place about Andrew potentially leaving Royal Lodge, Anne had suggested he could move to her Gatcombe Park estate in Gloucestershire as a temporary refuge.
Kay described the gesture as being very much in line with Anne’s character, suggesting it reflected both compassion and a desire to keep him surrounded by family during a difficult time.
However, the situation reportedly became harder for her to defend as more damaging claims surfaced, including the emergence of compromising photographs and allegations that Andrew had shared confidential government information with Epstein and others connected to him.
According to the expert, those developments made it increasingly difficult for the Princess Royal to stand by her brother publicly, even though she continued to keep lines of communication open.
