Shamed Andrew rejects invite to stay with royals at Balmoral as ex-prince fears he’d be treated as an ‘outcast’

ANDREW Mountbatten-Windsor has rejected the King’s offer of a holiday at Balmoral with the rest of the royals. Andrew feels he would be treated as an “outcast” if he made the trip to the Highlands estate, a friend says. Shamed Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has rejected the King’s invite of a holiday with the rest of the Royal Family at Balmoral Credit: Getty It is believed the King has not seen scandal-hit Andrew this year, despite regularly staying only a mile away from him Credit: Getty The invite to join the holiday was a chance for family reconciliation. It is believed the King has not seen scandal-hit Andrew this year, despite regularly staying only a mile away from him. Sign up for the Royals newsletter Thank you! A friend said: “Andrew feels he’s been abandoned. “He feels like he is no longer part of the family. “He was invited but has got no great desire to be at Balmoral as he has nothing to gain and would be treated as an outcast. What’s the point, he feels, of going all the way there for a much-needed holiday and being treated as an elephant in the room?” Up to 30 family members are set to join the King there over the next month for a traditional gathering. Andrew cut a lonely figure at the estate last year when he spent up to two weeks there. Since then he has faced fresh claims relating to his late paedo pal Jeffrey Epstein. Most read in Royals The King has already begun his summer break at Balmoral Castle, in Aberdeenshire Credit: SWNS Andrew has faced fresh allegations relating to his late friend paedo Epstein Credit: Jae Donnelly Andrew has always denied any wrongdoing. It is thought the last time he mingled with his family was at the funeral of the Duchess of Kent in September. In November, the King stripped Andrew of his Prince and Duke of York titles. Charles then kicked Andrew out of Royal Lodge in Windsor in February. The former prince is living in exile on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk. On his 66th birthday in February, he was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. His ex-wife Sarah Ferguson and children Beatrice and Eugenie have avoided his new home, Marsh Farm. Andrew has been described as lonely at Sandringham. It is believed only his brother Prince Edward has visited him since he was evicted from Windsor. The King has already begun his summer break at Balmoral but will be formally welcomed at the castle this week. PM Andy Burnham is among those expected to visit. Buckingham Palace declined to comment. Epstein died aged 66 in a jail cell in the US in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. MEG’S £25 WINE By Ed Southgate THE Duchess of Sussex is ­flogging a white wine online — for more than £25 a bottle. The Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, a 2024 vintage, is available for $35 (£25.82) on Meghan’s As Ever website. But you can pick up a similar tipple for £16 at Brit retailer Laithwaites. Meghan is offering three free bottles of the New Zealand plonk in a case of 12. She says of the wine: “Whether poured alongside a ­leisurely lunch or raised in a spontaneous toast, each bottle is made for sharing.” 1 comment1