'The Andrew problem will define his reign': Four questions royals have to answer in the Epstein fallout, expert says

The situation surrounding the former Prince Andrew could define King Charles III's reign, a royal expert says.

Andrew Lownie, the author of the biography Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, believes the way His Majesty manages the Jeffrey Epstein saga will potentially be his legacy.

Lownie says while the issue's been plaguing the British royal family for more than 15 years, the next few months are key to the monarchy surviving the scandal.

"They need to clean the stables before William takes on - he doesn't want to inherit this problem," he said at a Foreign Press Association briefing attended by nine.com.au in London.

"It's much easier for Charles to deal with this. It could be that the Andrew problem will define his reign - he can either be seen as someone who reformed the monarchy or someone who basically allowed it to become irrelevant."

However, Lownie fears there'll be one move the British royals might never recover from, if they choose to take inspiration from their Spanish counterparts, saying it will erode support for the monarchy.

"I don't think he's going to [stay in] Sandringham," Lownie predicts for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

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"I think he's going to spend his time in Middle East and jetting around the world, exactly like his old relative, King Juan Carlos of Spain, who also moved in a midnight flit."

While he admits he doesn't have any inside information to prove this point, Lownie claims "Andrew will go to a country without an extradition treaty with Britain".

"He'll do that, partly because he doesn't like the weather in Norfolk, and partly because the last thing the royal family want is a trial, which would wash all their dirty linen in public undermine and support for the monarchy," he says.

The King has already stripped his younger brother of all his royal titles, making Andrew a common citizen, and ousted him from Royal Lodge in Windsor.

Andrew's thought to be living in a cottage on the King's private estate in Sandringham, though he was moved under the cover of darkness and hasn't been seen there as yet.

While King Charles has publicly said he will co-operate with authorities in any potential investigations into Andrew's long association with the convicted sex offender, Lownie believes the royals need to be more on the front foot.

"William can see the damage and he doesn't want to pick up the pieces when he gets there," Lownie added.

The biographer believes the monarchy's "at a crossroads" and "quite vulnerable".

"Because if it's been seen to have enabled and protected Andrew and continues to do so, then [the public is] going to completely lose any sense of trust and respect, and that's exactly what they rely on," he says.

Lownie, who describes himself as a monarchist, says "that's what [Prince] William's worried about" but believes he may still be able to inherit a monarchy that's "fit for purpose".

But, he says, the royals have a number of questions still to answer.

"I think there are big questions for the palace," he says.

"What did they know? When did they know it? What did they do then? And what are they going to do now?"

"And I think there are also big questions for the police. The police have been handed so much evidence."

Thames Valley Police have confirmed they are talking to the Crown Prosecution Service about whether to investigate allegations, tantamount to misconduct in public office, that the former prince passed sensitive information to the disgraced financier.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor denies any wrongdoing.

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