Prince William is reportedly prepared to take a “more ruthless” approach when it comes to his uncle, Prince Andrew, including banning him from his coronation when he becomes king.
According to The Times, the Prince of Wales, 43, plans to exclude Andrew from “public and private royal events, including the coronation,” as well as most state occasions.
The move follows renewed scrutiny over Andrew’s alleged ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his decision last week to relinquish his royal title and remaining honours.
Prince William to ‘ban’ Prince Andrew from coronation
The publication claims that both the king and Prince William were consulted on Andrew’s decision to give up his Duke of York title. However, the heir to the throne is reportedly “not satisfied with the outcome” and intends to go further once he ascends the throne.
According to The Times, William considers his uncle a “threat” and a reputational risk to the monarchy.
Andrew retains his residence at Royal Lodge and occasionally attends private family events. However, William reportedly has no plans to extend such leniency. Under his reign, as reported by the publication, Andrew will be “banned from all elements of royal life”.
The prince’s reported firm stance is said to reflect his focus on protecting the monarchy’s reputation and modernising its image.
The report also claims that William intends to extend the ban to Andrew’s ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, who has continued to publicly support him. Fergie has faced her own criticism for past associations with Epstein.
Their daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, will reportedly not be affected by the new measures. They will continue to be included in royal family events.
Prince Andrew allegations
Prince Andrew, 65, has faced years of controversy over his association with Epstein.
His reputation was further damaged when Virginia Giuffre accused him of sexual assault. She alleged that she was trafficked by Epstein and made to have sex with the prince when she was 17.
Andrew has repeatedly denied the allegations. In 2021, Ms Giuffre filed a lawsuit against Andrew in the US, accusing him of sexual assault. Prince Andrew and Ms Giuffre reached an out-of-court settlement in February 2022.
Weeks before the settlement, Queen Elizabeth II stripped her second son Andrew of his military titles and royal patronages. He had previously stepped back from public duties in 2019.
Royal title statement
On Friday, Buckingham Palace released a statement on Andrew’s behalf. In the statement, Andrew confirmed that he would no longer use his Duke of York title.
“With His Majesty’s agreement, we feel I must now go a step further,” the statement read. “I will therefore no longer use my title or the honours which have been conferred upon me.”
He added: “As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me.”
William considers his uncle a threat and a reputational risk to the monarchy.
Ms Giuffre died in April 2025 after taking her own life. Her posthumous memoir is set to be released this week. Meanwhile, the Met Police are also investigating allegations that Andrew asked his protection officer to dig up information about Ms Giuffre.
According to the Daily Mail, the request was reportedly made in 2011, shortly before the now-infamous photo of Andrew seemingly with his arm around Ms Giuffre’s waist was released publicly.
Epstein’s associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted of sex trafficking in 2021, also appears in the photo.
Kensington Palace has been contacted for comment.
Read more: King Charles’ ‘threat’ to brother Prince Andrew before royal title announcement
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