Prince Edward visited Andrew over Easter as a result of he was apprehensive about his psychological state after Epstein information arrest

Prince Edward paid an Easter weekend visit to his disgraced brother at his bolthole on the Sandringham Estate because he is worried about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s mental state, the Daily Mail can reveal.

As the police inquiry into Andrew’s links with paedophile billionaire Jeffrey Epstein gathers pace, Edward has become increasingly concerned about the wellbeing of the older sibling with whom he once shared a close bond.

The visit by Edward, accompanied by his wife Sophie, was the first by any member of the Royal family since Andrew went into ‘exile’ in Norfolk.

The trip to see him at his temporary Wood Farm home was described as ‘a brotherly welfare check’.

Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on 19 February on suspicion of misconduct in public office over allegations he shared confidential material with the convicted child sex offender while serving as the UK’s trade envoy.

Those close to Edward describe him as ‘deeply unsettled’ in recent weeks — worried not just by the lurid allegations that have once again engulfed his elder brother, but by fears for Andrew’s mental and physical state as the police inquiry continues.

Whereas King Charles has drawn a decisive line, insisting that Andrew remove himself from the public scene and leave Royal Lodge in Windsor for Sandringham, Edward is said to be quietly playing the role of mediator.

A source said: ‘Edward and Sophie had dinner with Andrew one night over the weekend and they talked things through.

‘It’s true to say they both feel sorry for Andrew and how far he has fallen and they are worried about his fragile state of mind.

‘They do feel for him, but of course that doesn’t excuse his behaviour.

‘It’s a difficult balancing act supporting him while not condoning what he has got involved with.

‘Andrew still maintains has not done anything wrong and thinks he will be vindicated one day but I think Edward will have tried to talk some sense into him and made it clear his days as a working royal are over.’

In public, Edward has only called for people to concentrate on the victims of the Epstein scandal.

‘I think it’s all really important, always, to remember the victims and who are the victims in all this,’ he said in February, before Andrew’s arrest.

But a royal source told the Mail: ‘Privately he is still supporting his brother.

‘Both he and Princess Anne are understandably concerned about Andrew’s mental state and what is going to become of him.’

The source played down any suggestion of a disagreement over the brothers’ respective property arrangements.

Reports at the weekend had suggested the brothers had been at odds because Edward and Sophie had expected Andrew, 66, to have vacated the farmhouse by last Thursday.

But royal sources insist there was ‘no bad blood’ between the brothers, and 62-year-old Edward’s visit to Andrew was ‘borne entirely out of concern’.

The late Queen Elizabeth’s two youngest sons enjoyed a ‘friendly’ exchange – as well as dinner with Sophie, 61 – and there was ‘no real discord’ over the holiday accommodation, said an insider.

Prince Edward and Sophie usually stay at Wood Farm when visiting Sandringham but were unable to do so this Easter as Andrew was still resident there.

Thai was because final building work was not quite finished at Andrew’s new permanent home, Marsh Farm, less than a mile away

Instead, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh were put up in the Gardens House, a modest commercial holiday-let property closer to Sandringham House itself.

But royal sources today insisted that the brothers had not fallen out over this.

‘Edward and his family were going to stay at Wood Farm but had to spend a couple of days in the main Sandringham House which would not normally be opened up at this time of year,’ a source said.

‘It’s not worth it for the cost of staff and heating etc but within a couple of days they moved to the holiday let of Gardens House on the estate.

‘Edward wasn’t particularly annoyed but it was just inconvenient.

‘After all, Edward and Sophie are still living in some splendour at Bagshot Park, their large mansion, and Andrew is now in a small estate cottage.

‘It’s quite a contrast.’

Yesterday, the former Duke of York appeared to have finally moved from Wood Farm, where he had been staying while his permanent home was made ready, to nearby Marsh Farm, where he has now spent the night.

The news made observers wonder why he couldn’t have completed the move before Easter and allowed the Edinburghs to use Wood Farm.

He was pictured taking the 20-minute walk between the two properties on Monday, with only his dogs for company.

Andrew had his head bowed and seemed lost in thought as he made the journey to his new home.

Members of his staff were seen arriving at the farm a few minutes earlier, and carried bags into the five-bedroom property which has been undergoing renovations for months.

Andrew had been living at Wood Farm since the start of February, following King Charles evicting him from the Royal Lodge in Windsor, which he had shared with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson.

He was kicked to the curb from that address due to details of his – and his ex, Sarah Ferguson’s – links to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Extensive renovations have been made to the former Victorian working farm where Andrew has now permanently, including luxury carpets, a Sky dish, a fast broadband connection and a security fence.

Over the last couple of weeks, hundreds of boxes, believed to contain Andrew’s belongings, have been delivered, many with HRH written on the side.

A large white mobile home has also been erected in the grounds for his security staff to live in.

Marsh Farm, which includes a main house with two reception rooms, a kitchen and several outbuildings, is believed to have stood empty for at least five years.

It lies on a flood plain two miles away from King Charles’s main Sandringham House and is cut off from the rest of Norfolk by the Dersingham Bog.

Over the last two weeks, Andrew has been spotted making regular trips to Marsh Farm to inspect the property before moving in.

He was seen smiling as he drove his Range Rover around the estate on Monday.

A series of highly embarrassing photos and emails emerged surrounding Andrew’s friendship with Epstein as part of the files released by the US Department of Justice.

He also stands accused of sharing confidential information with the paedophile during his time as a trade ambassador for the UK Government.

But for Edward, it seems, the story is no longer about scandal or outrage. It has transitioned into a struggle to keep brotherly love alive in a family where love so often has to wait its turn behind duty.

Buckingham Palace were contacted for comment.