Tomorrow, around twenty well-fed royals will convene in the saloon at Sandringham, following the King’s annual Christmas address.

This very room was recently thrust into the spotlight when a newly unveiled photo from the Epstein files depicted Prince Andrew lounging across the laps of five women, with convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell looking on with a grin.

It’s doubtful that anyone at Sandringham will tarnish the festive mood by bringing up this awkward coincidence. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor won’t be part of tomorrow’s gathering, after all.

For the King and his advisors, the hope that stripping Andrew of his titles would halt the embarrassing revelations linked to his sordid ties with the late Jeffrey Epstein appears to have been in vain, leaving them both disappointed and worried.

This week, a deluge of documents from the Epstein files, released by the US Department of Justice, has reignited the scandal surrounding Andrew’s indiscreet behavior, with the situation escalating and showing no signs of abating.

To date, twenty thousand pages have been disclosed, each adding to the mounting evidence against Andrew. This development heightens the likelihood that US authorities might reopen investigations into the former prince, especially amidst widespread claims of a cover-up.

Of course, the King’s younger brother has been firefighting ever since he invited the Newsnight cameras into Buckingham Palace for the purpose of lying to the nation.

That was in November 2019. Emily Maitlis was asking the questions, Andrew provided the answers – and unwittingly set the scene for the greatest royal downfall since the abdication of Edward VIII.

The now-notorious photograph – first published by The Mail on Sunday – shows the then Prince Andrew and Virginia Giuffre together at Ghislaine Maxwell’s London house

He said, to recap, he had no recollection of meeting Virginia Giuffre despite the now-notorious photograph – first published by The Mail on Sunday – which shows them together at Maxwell’s London house.

It was Maitlis, too, who trapped Andrew into claiming he’d broken off all contact with Epstein in 2010, in the wake of the billionaire’s conviction for soliciting prostitution with a minor.

This brazen lie was dramatically exposed in an email unearthed this year by The Mail on Sunday in which, dated February 2011, Andrew wrote: ‘It would seem we are in this together and will have to rise above it. Otherwise keep in close touch and we’ll play some more soon!!!!’

In my new book, The Windsor Legacy, I reveal that following one of Andrew’s gatherings at Sandringham, staff found ‘party bags’ in guest bathrooms containing sex drugs, lubricant and exotic condoms. These had been distributed for what Andrew described on Newsnight as no more than a ‘straightforward shooting weekend’. Another shameful distortion, at the very least.

At first, it appeared the King’s brutal response to this tide of disclosures – which included forcing Andrew out of his Windsor home of 20 years, Royal Lodge – seemed enough to consign Andrew to the shadows in perpetuity.

But not so. Thanks to the torrent of emails and photos released by the US authorities, the true scale of Andrew’s sex obsession and the depth of his deceit are, once again, impossible to ignore. And who doubts there are more revelations to come? This is precisely what the King and those around him, including Prince William, have been dreading.

Indeed, one wonders if they knew at least some of it – and if that explains why Charles took such drastic action earlier this year.

Andrew has always vigorously denied any wrongdoing. Yet, as the latest tranche of Epstein emails makes clear, he most certainly was an enthusiastic participant in the activities organised by Epstein and Maxwell, the latter of whom is serving a 20-year sentence for sex abuse in Florida.

What else are we supposed to conclude from a 2001 email to Maxwell, signed ‘Axxx’?

‘I am up here at Balmoral Summer Camp for the Royal Family. Totally exhausted. The Girls are completely shattered. How’s LA? Have you found me some new inappropriate friends?

Maxwell replies she’d only found ‘appropriate friends’.

Andrew: ‘Distraught!’

Now he really is distraught, with friends reporting that the late Queen Elizabeth’s second – and it was said favourite – son is in ‘a dark place’. Yet further questions are inevitable – and rightly so.

Andrew’s critics point out he continues to lead a life of vast privilege, driving big cars and riding expensive horses.

A newly released picture from the Epstein files shows Andrew sprawled across the laps of five women as convicted sex-trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell watches, grinning

So far as we know, he has made no offer to help official investigations into the extent of Epstein’s sex abuse – which, according to some claims, involved girls as young as 14.

There has been no public testimony from Andrew. No cross-examination. Just silence. Even the tragic suicide of Andrew’s main accuser, Virginia Giuffre, failed to change his mind.

The late Queen spent 70 years building the reputation of an institution tarnished by the abdication of her uncle. Why did she seem so willing to ignore Andrew’s quite extraordinary behaviour?

Perhaps, maternal love blinded her. I know that Charles begged her to act. William too. Yet she simply refused to believe her favourite child was so odious.

Even when she was forced to strip him of the His Royal Highness style and military patronages, the Queen still allowed Andrew to escort her to Philip’s memorial service while the public – and quite possibly other members of the Royal Family – seethed.

Queen Elizabeth II died in September 2022, before the worst surfaced. Probably a blessing.

True, Charles, has stripped Andrew of his home and even his princely title. Yet even this is insufficient. Removal of privileges is not accountability.

The FBI requested interviews; Andrew refused. The US Department of Justice sought assistance; the UK government stonewalled. Congress applied pressure; nothing changed.

British law cannot compel Andrew to speak to American prosecutors. But the King can cut Andrew off – both publicly and completely. Any remaining financial support must come to an end, and Andrew should be removed from the line of succession.

Present the choice clearly: Andrew must cooperate with US authorities, answer questions under oath and face the legal consequences, or lose everything that remains, including membership of the Royal Family.

Following the abdication, Andrew’s great-uncle, the Duke of Windsor, was banished to live abroad with strict conditions attached. So why not threaten to send Andrew to live overseas as a private citizen in exile with – if the Windsors are feeling generous – a stipend? This might restore some credibility to a monarchy which is already stretched.

The alternative? That William, as King, inherits a de-legitimised monarchy – and that a difficult job in an increasingly hostile climate becomes harder still.

Andrew truly believes he can wait this out, whether in the seclusion of a farm on the Sandringham estate or in an air-conditioned palace in the Gulf. He thinks he can remain comfortable while refusing to say what he knows and what he has heard.

It is a course of action that can only undermine the royal brand to which his mother dedicated her life. The stakes are high.