King Charles Has One "Card" Left—Which Queen Elizabeth "Rarely Played"—That "Would Go a Long Way" After the Ex-Prince Andrew Scandal

LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 16: Prince Andrew, Duke of York and King Charles III attend the Funeral of the Duchess of Kent at Westminster Cathedral on September 16, 2025 in London, England. Katharine, Duchess of Kent was married to Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, the first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. She died on September 4 at the age of 92 at Kensington Palace surrounded by her family. Having converted to Catholicism in 1994, her funeral takes place at Westminster Cathedral and is the first Catholic funeral to be held for a member of the royal family in modern British history. Her Royal Highness will be laid to rest at the Royal Burial Ground at Frogmore, Windsor. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images).

2025 proved to be a challenging year for King Charles—as well as handling his ongoing cancer treatment, the monarch was forced to demote his brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. Renewed interest in the disgraced former Duke of York's association with Jeffrey Epstein—a convicted sex offender—led to The King removing Andrew's royal titles and evicting him from Royal Lodge. According to one royal expert, there's still one "card" King Charles could play in the Andrew scandal.

Writing for the Sunday Times, royal editor Roya Nikkhah shared, "Questions keep coming on who knew what about this sordid saga. Those close to Charles insist father and son [Prince William] 'remain in active and consistent dialogue on all matters.' But their written statements...expressing 'profound' and 'deep concern' for Epstein's victims, have not quelled disquiet."

As a result, Nikkhah believes it's time for King Charles to speak publicly about Andrew's friendship with Epstein. "Hearing from the monarch in personal, spoken words, rather than palace statements, would redress that," Nikkhah wrote.

"It was a card she rarely played," one royal expert noted. (Image credit: Getty Images)

The royal expert also noted that whenever Queen Elizabeth spoke directly to the general public, it "was a reassuring salve." Nikkhah elaborated, "It was a card she rarely played, but...her televised addresses settled a rattled public. A similar message from Charles, with input from William, acknowledging what has happened, addressing the challenges facing the monarchy, telling us the Royal Family understands the gravity of the situation, would go a long way."

"Hearing from the monarch in personal, spoken words, rather than palace statements, would redress that." (Image credit: Getty Images)

For now, at least, Charles and William's plans regarding Andrew remain unclear. However, it seems as though many royal fans are eager to receive some reassurance from the Royal Family about Andrew's ongoing Epstein scandal and the troubling allegations against him.