What is a weekend?
Prince Andrew is reportedly receiving regular weekend visits from two key members of the royal family who are concerned for the embattled figure.
The Duke of York’s “loyal and protective daughters,” Princess Beatrice, 36, and Princess Eugenie, 34, are taking turns spending weekends with their father, 64, at Royal Lodge, the 30-bedroom mansion that he has refused to leave despite his brother King Charles III’s attempts to evict him, according to HELLO!
Andrew has suffered a stunning fall from grace over the past five years after his disastrous “Newsnight” interview in which Charles’ younger brother said he didn’t regret his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein because the relationship led to “opportunities” that were “actually very useful.”
The Duke stepped back from all public roles following a public outcry. He has been an albatross around the neck of the royal family ever since.
However, Beatrice and Eugenie have been steadfast in their support of their papa.
As HELLO! reports, Andrew’s daughters “are juggling careers and support for their [charitable] patronages with concern for their father and stepping out to support the King and Prince of Wales, when required.”
They are “keeping a watchful eye on their father and doing what they can to boost his morale,” the outlet added.
The sisters have also been bringing their children along to “boost his spirits,” and are spending more time with him now than they previously did.
“The girls take the grandchildren to visit him most weekends,” a source told HELLO! “They are spending far more time with him now than they have done in recent years.”
“They are quite close to their father; they seem to be quite protective towards him.”
Andrew — who has been described as growing “increasingly clingy” towards Beatrice and Eugenie — has been seen driving his granddaughter Sienna Mapelli-Mozzi, 3, through the Windsor Estate and helping her as she learns to ride a pony.
Princess Beatrice shares Sienna with her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, 41. She is also stepmother to Edoardo’s son from a previous relationship, “Woolfie,” 8, and is expecting her second child in the spring of next year.
Princess Eugenie and her husband, Jack Brooksbank, 38, share two sons, August, 3, and Ernest, 1.
The Princesses have been making the most of their visits to Royal Lodge, hosting friends for weekend shooting parties — a tradition beloved by the British upper-classes.
Prince Andrew currently lives at the estate with his ex-wife and Beatrice and Eugenie’s mother, Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York.
In recent months, King Charles has attempted to evict his brother from Royal Lodge — the lease of which the prince took over after the death of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, in 2002.
The monarch’s primary tactic was to cut off Andrew’s royal allowance, hoping that choking the royal pursestrings would force him to acquiesce to the King’s wish that he move into Frogmore Cottage, the 5,000 sq. foot, four-bed-four-bath former residence of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle located on the grounds of Windsor Castle.
Andrew resolutely refused, and has managed to stay at Royal Lodge — the upkeep of which he must pay in order to stay put — after miraculously finding outside funding at the eleventh hour.
Though Andrew has secured a reprieve, his rift with Charles is only deepening. The pair are allegedly no longer speaking and the King is reportedly removing treasured artifacts from the lavish estate.
The Post has reached out to Buckingham Palace for comment.
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