Prince Andrew has reportedly been secretly meeting with The Queen.
The Duke of York, 60, stepped down from his royal duties one year ago.
And a source now claims that he is desperate to have his reputation restored.
According to The Sun, the prince believes he can still provide useful service to the monarchy.
But that in reality he has ‘zero chance’ of earning back his original royal stature.
Why did Prince Andrew step down?
The source claimed: “Whatever the Duke (of York) may think his future looks like, he should be under no illusion that view is not shared by the people who actually make the decisions within the family.
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“There is no way of him ever returning to front line duties and he will remain very much on the outside.”
But they also allege that the Queen remains ‘sympathetic’ to her son.
However, Prince Charles and Prince William are hellbent on never allowing Andrew to return to royal duties.
What happened on Newsnight?
A further royal source added: “Andrew would do well to keep his head down while the rest of the family carries on with the business in hand.”
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Prince Andrew announced he would be stepping down from his royal duties in November.
This came shortly after his disastrous interview on BBC Newsnight with Emily Maitlis.
The interview explored his alleged ties to convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
An official statement was released explaining his departure.
It includes: “It has become clear to me over the last few days that the circumstances relating to my former association with Jeffrey Epstein has become a major disruption to my family’s work and the valuable work going on in the many organisations and charities that I am proud to support.
“Therefore, I have asked Her Majesty if I may step back from public duties for the foreseeable future, and she has given her permission.
“I continue to unequivocally regret my ill-judged association with Jeffrey Epstein. His suicide has left many unanswered questions, particularly for his victims, and I deeply sympathise with everyone who has been affected and wants some form of closure.
“I can only hope that, in time, they will be able to rebuild their lives. Of course, I am willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations, if required.”
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