Nicolai Haugsted
The former prince has reportedly questioned why his loyalty to the monarchy has not earned him the same consideration as Prince Harry.
The British royal family has spent years dealing with the fallout from two very different departures from royal life.
Prince Harry walked away from his official duties in 2020, while his uncle Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor lost his royal titles and privileges following years of controversy surrounding his association with Jeffrey Epstein.
Both men now live outside the monarchy’s working ranks, although the circumstances behind their departures could hardly be more different.
Yet according to a new report, Andrew believes the royal family has been considerably more forgiving towards his nephew than towards him.
The allegation comes as King Charles’s younger brother has secured a significant legal victory in his ongoing dispute with police.
Andrew reportedly believes Harry got off lightly
According to the Daily Mail, Andrew has privately questioned why Harry and Meghan Markle have faced what he considers relatively mild consequences for their public criticism of the monarchy.
The claim comes from an unnamed royal source, who suggests Andrew regards himself as having remained more loyal to the institution than his nephew.
The source said:
“He always has felt that his nephew has been treated leniently compared to himself, especially as Andrew has remained loyal to the throne and would never do anything that would cause trouble.”
The insider then took aim at Harry and Meghan’s public statements about royal life.
“That’s very unlike Harry and Meg’s stone-throwing and tittle-tattling across the Pond. The wider family feels he deserves credit for not rocking the royal boat.”
The remarks present a striking argument from Andrew’s reported supporters, particularly given the controversies that led to his removal from royal life.
However, the source’s suggestion that the wider royal family shares this view has not been independently established.
Neither Andrew nor Buckingham Palace has publicly confirmed the reported comparison.
A legal victory brings Andrew back into the headlines
The claims have emerged during a significant week for the former Duke of York.
Andrew recently won a High Court challenge concerning police searches carried out at two properties earlier this year.
Thames Valley Police acknowledged that the warrants used to authorise the searches were unlawful, resulting in their cancellation.
At a hearing on Thursday, Mr Justice Hilliard said a “significant error was made” during the process involving the police and a judge at the Old Bailey.
The dispute concerned which provisions of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 should have been used to obtain the warrants.
Police had initially sought authorisation under sections eight and nine, but the Old Bailey judge concluded that section eight warrants would be sufficient.
The subsequent legal challenge established that the searches required authorisation under a different provision.
Thames Valley Police has since submitted a new application using the appropriate legal procedure.
Andrew is opposing that application, with a decision expected next year.
Importantly, the ruling concerns the legality of the searches rather than the substance of the allegations against him.
The criminal investigation remains active.
Arrested on his 66th birthday
Andrew was arrested on February 19, 2026, his 66th birthday, on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
Police questioned him for approximately 12 hours before releasing him.
He has not been charged with a criminal offence and has consistently denied wrongdoing.
The arrest followed years of intense scrutiny surrounding his former friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Andrew withdrew from official royal duties in 2019, and King Charles subsequently removed his remaining royal titles and privileges in 2025.
He also lost his longtime residence at Royal Lodge, the Windsor mansion he had occupied for approximately two decades.
The former prince now lives on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, away from the public engagements and ceremonial responsibilities that once accompanied his royal position.
Harry and Meghan’s very different departure
Harry and Meghan’s separation from the monarchy followed another path entirely.
The couple voluntarily stepped back as senior working royals in 2020 before relocating to the United States, where they established a home in California.
Their subsequent interviews, documentaries and Harry’s memoir brought renewed public attention to tensions within the royal family.
Unlike Andrew, however, Harry has not been stripped of his princely title.
The duke and duchess retain their titles but no longer undertake official duties on behalf of the Crown.
According to the source quoted by the Daily Mail, Andrew believes that distinction demonstrates unequal treatment.
The comparison overlooks the fundamentally different circumstances surrounding the two men’s departures, including the criminal investigation involving Andrew.
A return to Britain adds another complication
The reported disagreement comes after Harry and Meghan returned to Britain in August for what has been described as an extended stay.
The couple brought their children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, and enrolled them in a British school.
According to the report, the children were transferred to another school just two days later because of security concerns.
Harry and Meghan’s return has attracted renewed attention to their relationship with King Charles and other members of the royal family.
Meanwhile, Andrew remains excluded from official royal activities as his legal dispute and the police investigation continue.
