The scandal involving Prince Andrew and his connection to convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein has presented Prince Charles with an opportunity to show he can run the Royal family, claims a new report. Queen Elizabeth will turn 95 in 18 months, and there is talk in the palace that she will retire at that point and hand over day-to-day operations to Prince Charles.

According to The Daily Mail, Prince Charles met with Prince Philip yesterday at Sandringham to discuss the aftermath of Prince Andrew’s disastrous BBC interview. Charles was reportedly a major player in retiring his brother from royal life, and that has led to reports that he will take over the role of “Prince Regent” when the monarch retires.

“The scandal surrounding Andrew and Epstein gave Charles an opportunity to step in to show that he can run The Firm. No one is bigger than the institution of the Royal Family. Not even Andrew, the Queen’s favorite son,” says a royal insider. “Charles recognized that and acted decisively — like the king he may well soon be. This was the moment when Charles stepped up as Prince Regent, the Shadow King.”

Over the past few years, the Queen has gradually reduced her number of public engagements, and Charles has taken on more. In 2018, the monarch attended 283 public engagements and Charles took on 507.

While Prince Charles is in Sandringham with his father, rumor has it he is there to get advice from his dad on what the family should do in the wake of the fallout from Andrew’s interview. And, the father and son will also get the chance to enjoy some quiet time together.

Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall were in New Zealand for a royal tour when Andrew gave his interview to the BBC. Still, he played a big part in Andrew’s retirement, but there is no “showdown” coming between the two, as some outlets have previously reported.

The last time the Royal family had a Prince Regent was in 1811 when George III had some problems with mental illness. His son – the future George IV – took over his dad’s duties as Prince Regent, and his regency lasted until his father’s death in 1820.

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