King Charles may 'never speak to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor again'

A source said: "The hard reality is that the King may never speak to Andrew again."

Those familiar with Palace thinking have insisted there is "no chance whatsoever" of King Charles, 77, reaching out to his younger brother.

The two have maintained a prolonged silence stretching back well before Andrew's arrest in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

Speculation about a potential thaw in Royal Family attitudes towards Andrew emerged last week when it became known that Prince Edward had paid a visit to his brother at his Sandringham exile.

This sense that the family might be softening was heightened further by reports that Princess Anne had also made contact with Andrew recently.

The Princess Royal reportedly reached out due to concerns about her brother's wellbeing in the aftermath of his arrest earlier this year.

However, Palace sources have moved swiftly to quash any expectation that the King himself might consider taking similar steps.

An insider explained that the estrangement runs far deeper than recent events, noting: "They were never close as brothers in the first place, with tensions between them which long predate the Epstein scandal."

The source continued:"Charles is not just a brother in this situation but also the King - and in that capacity he has to protect the monarchy above all other considerations, even personal ones."

The constitutional implications of any contact between the brothers present equally grave concerns.

With Andrew potentially facing criminal charges, sources warn that the stakes could not be higher.

Andrew has consistently denied any wrongdoing.

The prospect of the monarch being drawn into his brother's criminal proceedings, even indirectly, would have seismic consequences for both the justice system and the Crown itself.

Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter