'MONARCHY'S WORST CRISIS IN LIVING MEMORY

His Majesty works 'in lockstep' with the Prince of Wales as they tackle the latest scandal surrounding Prince Andrew

- 

The King and the Prince of Wales have joined forces to steer the royal family through what has been described as the monarchy’s worst crisis since the abdication of Edward VIII in 1936.

Prince William was on hand as His Majesty held crisis talks with aides in relation to damaging revelations about Prince Andrew, leading to the decision that the monarch’s younger brother would give up the title of Duke of York and other honours, including his membership of the Order of the Garter.

Royal sources say that the King and his heir are “in lockstep” as they try to move on from the latest scandal to engulf Andrew, after new details about his friendship with the late convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein and his association with Chinese spies forced His Majesty to take action.

Father and son have been united in their determination to stop lurid headlines becoming a distraction from the royal family’s good work and, after a phone call from the King, Andrew agreed to drop his titles.

No doubt Andrew, 65, and his former wife Sarah Ferguson, 66, are hoping for the same, as they lie low at Royal Lodge, the Prince’s 30-room home on the Windsor Estate. However, their living arrangements came under scrutiny last week, when it was revealed that Andrew has not paid rent on the property for more than 20 years.

Andrew's woes come amid the publication of the posthumous memoirs of Virginia Giuffre, who accused Andrew of sexual assault - which he vehemently denies - after she was trafficked by Epstein as a teenager. Virginia took her own life earlier this year.