Prince Andrew was given a dressing down and effectively barred from royal duties by his older brother over the ongoing Jeffrey Epstein scandal, a source claims.
He was reportedly taken to the royal estate for an emergency lunch meeting at Sandringham by Prince Charles for the reprimand.
It follows the Duke of York’s car crash interview on Newsnight in which he gave some bizarre responses to questions about his relationship with deceased paedophile billionaire Epstein.
Prince Philip is thought to have joined his two sons for the meeting, which took place shortly before a tearful BBC interview with Andrew’s accuser Virginia Roberts aired on Monday.
The royal source told The Sun: ‘It was all very civilised and calm but Charles calmly read him the riot act and told him there was no way back for him in the near future.
‘Andrew thought he was being treated harshly as nothing has yet been proved against him, but he accepted the decision. He really had little choice.’
His accuser – now named Virginia Giuffre, 35, is one of 16 women who says she was abused by Epstein and claims she was forced to have sex with Andrew three times between 2001 and 2002, twice while she was underage.
Mrs Giuffre said she was trafficked when she was 17 and was forced into sexual encounters with the Duke in London, New York and on a private Caribbean island owned by Epstein.
In an attempt to rebut her account of what happened the duke told the BBC’s Emily Maitlis that he ‘can’t sweat’ due to a medical condition.
Eyebrows were also raised when he said he distinctly remembered being at a Pizza Express in Woking on the night of one of the alleged incidents.
Friends of the Duke of York have accused the BBC of failing to give the same level of scrutiny to Mrs Giuffre’s account for Monday’s Panorama documentary and for allowing her to ‘say what she wanted and cry a lot’.
At the crunch royal meeting, Charles was also reportedly worried about the prospect of Andrew going to the US to clear his name, fearing this could ‘remove the mystery’ surrounding the family.
The source added: ‘Philip regrets Andrew doesn’t know how to lead a simple life. He thinks he’s been too extravagant.’
It is thought Charles putting his foot down is his way of preparing for the ‘Prince Regent’ role in which he would take care of day-to-day royal business on behalf of the Queen.
Her majesty turns 95 in 18 months, the same age at which her husband Philip stepped down from public duties.
Speculation is mounting that the Queen might retire when she hits the same milestone and she has already been gradually reducing her public engagements in recent years.
Prince Andrew was dealt a fresh blow last night when a witness claimed she was ‘feet away’ from Prince Andrew and Miss Roberts as they danced in the Tramp nightclub in Mayfair, in March 2001.
This contradicts the Duke of York’s instance he had been with his daughter Princess Beatrice and took her to Pizza Express in Woking.
Representing Epstein’s victims, lawyer Lisa Bloom said an unnamed woman ‘vividly remembers’ seeing the pair on the dancefloor.
This was on the same night Miss Roberts claims she was made to sleep with Andrew at the home of alleged pimp Ghislaine Maxwell in nearby Belgravia.
Ms Bloom told The Sun: ‘She had never seen a royal before or since. It was a very big moment for her — she stared at him.’
Prince Andrew was described as ‘very much enjoying himself on the dancefloor’ while Miss Roberts ‘looked very young and not happy’.
Ms Bloom added: ‘She is not asking for any money or making a legal claim — she just wants to tell her story.
‘She is very afraid but thinks speaking out is very important.’