bitchy | Why was Prince Andrew visited by the Lord Chamberlain this week?

Prince Andrew – “Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor” – has been hiding out in Wood Farm on the Sandringham estate since he was arrested and held in police custody for around eleven hours on February 19th. Photographers are on a stakeout somewhere close to Wood Farm, and they haven’t caught sight of him in nearly two weeks. But they’re also tracking who visits, whether it’s delivery vans or special guests. King Charles stayed in Sandringham over the weekend but made a point of not visiting Wood Farm. Charles did send the local reverend canon to see Andrew on Saturday though. Well, on Monday, Andrew had another guest at Wood Farm: the Lord Chamberlain of the Royal Household.

The former Prince Andrew had a lengthy visit from a senior palace official, sparking speculation about his place in the line of succession.

The former Duke of York, now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor after his titles were stripped last year, was visited by Richard Benyon, the Lord Chamberlain of the Royal Household, on Monday, March 2. According to reports, the two-hour meeting took place at Wood Farm, the residence where Andrew is temporarily staying on the royal family’s Sandringham estate in Norfolk and where he was arrested on Feb. 19 on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

As Lord Chamberlain, Benyon is the main point of communication between the monarch and the House of Lords. While their meeting was private, it sparked speculation that they may have discussed Andrew’s removal from the line of succession to the British throne, which would require an Act of Parliament.

Despite having his royal titles and honors removed by King Charles in the fall of 2025, Andrew retained his spot in the line of succession. He is currently in the eighth spot, behind Prince Harry’s two young children, 6-year-old Prince Archie and 4-year-old Princess Lilibet.

[From People]

Post-arrest, there was a surge in calls for Andrew’s removal from the line of succession, although in the past five days or so, those calls have become more muted. I think it’s a combination of factors – one, the British government clearly has a million other things on their plate, and two, removing someone from the line of succession is pretty complicated, especially if it’s being done without the (former) royal’s consent. Which is probably why the Lord Chamberlain has begun the process of trying to convince Andrew to “consent” to his removal in some way. That’s my theory. Isn’t that how King Edward VIII had to do it? Like, he had to sign the abdication papers and put it in writing that he and his would-be heirs would never seek the throne, or that they would be ineligible for the throne. That’s probably the work-around to “an act of Parliament” that they’re trying to finesse for Andrew. I wonder if he’s playing along?

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.