Andrew begging King Charles to keep communication open

Former Prince Andrew is reportedly making frequent calls to King Charles after he was ordered to leave Royal Lodge amid growing controversy surrounding his past ties with Jeffrey Epstein.

Speaking with a US-based entertainment site, a source said the former Duke of York has been calling Charles almost daily to stay in contact despite their strained relationship.

As for Charles, an insider said the King finds these calls "deeply unwelcome" but finds himself in a helpless position to refuse.

"Charles is continuing to take what have been described as near-daily, almost pleading calls from Andrew because, in truth, he doesn't feel he has the freedom to shut that door completely," they said.

The insider added, "There's a very real anxiety within the palace about how Andrew might react if he were fully cut off, and that uncertainty is driving a lot of the King's decisions right now. It's not a relationship being maintained out of warmth – it's far more strategic than that."

"Charles is, in effect, being pressured into keeping that line open because there's a lingering fear Andrew could go rogue on the royal family if he feels isolated or backed into a corner. That possibility is something they simply can't ignore."

The source further noted that there is a sense "Charles has to manage him carefully. If he doesn't offer at least some level of engagement, even just by taking a call here and there, there's no predicting how Andrew might respond.

"But privately, he finds those interactions deeply unwelcome – he would much rather not have to deal with him at all. The difficulty is that Andrew isn't going to disappear quietly."

This comes after the king moved to remove Andrew’s titles and honours and asked him to leave Royal Lodge.