Prince William was reportedly firmly “put in his place” after he urged both his father, King Charles, and his late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, to cut Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor adrift from royal life altogether.
Andrew, 65, has been mired in controversy for years, with his links to the late sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein continuing to cast a long shadow over the monarchy.
Prince William ‘put in his place’ by King Charles and Queen Elizabeth II over Andrew
According to a new royal book, Prince William, 43, has wanted his uncle kept well away from the heart of the royal family since 2019.
That was the year Andrew’s now infamous Newsnight interview aired. During the BBC sit-down, the former Duke of York was pressed about his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
He was also questioned about Virginia Giuffre. She alleged she was made to have sex with Andrew on three occasions when she was 17 after being trafficked by Epstein.
Andrew has always vehemently denied the allegations. In the interview, he said he had no recollection of meeting her. He has consistently denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.
The interview was widely viewed as disastrous. In its aftermath, William is said to have believed swift, decisive action was needed before what one source described as “the rot” set in.
It is claimed the Prince of Wales saw Andrew as a serious liability, a potential threat to the royal family’s chances of survival if the crisis spiralled further.
Monarchy in ‘fire fight’ after Andrew’s Newsnight interview
The fresh claims appear in a new book about the Prince and Princess of Wales, written by The Mirror’s royal editor, Russell Myers.
In an extract serialised in the Mirror, a palace source is quoted as saying: “The Prince of Wales was adamant the whole episode would never go away and, despite how others may have felt, there was absolutely no upside in Andrew being protected.”
The book alleges that William pressed both Charles and Queen Elizabeth II to act in the wake of the interview.
However, his intervention reportedly didn’t go down well, with William ultimately being “put in his place”.
At the time, the monarchy is described as being locked in a “full-scale fire fight”. William apparently feared the scandal could inflict lasting damage on the institution’s future.
Prince William’s ‘view’ on uncle Andrew
“His [William’s] view was crystal clear: Andrew shouldn’t be anywhere near the family under any circumstances, not by association, not at family functions, anywhere. Every single time there was a new revelation, which no one knew when it was coming or what the next one would be, it was a stain on all of the family,” the source claimed.
The insider added that when you consider how today’s headlines could shape William’s future reign, it becomes “easy” to see why he took such a firm line.
“He never much liked his uncle and wanted him out of the picture immediately before the rot further set in. William’s view was that he [Andrew] got himself into the whole mess, so he should be left to his own devices to sort it out away from the family,” the source alleged.
Allegations against Andrew
Six years on, events appear to have shifted. Andrew has lost his royal titles. He has also left Royal Lodge in Windsor. It came as further details about his links to Epstein have emerged.
In January, the US Department of Justice released more than three million files relating to Epstein and his crimes.
Among them were images that appeared to show Andrew kneeling on all fours over an unidentified woman lying on the ground. The files did not provide context for the images.
Representatives for Andrew were contacted for comment on the material.
Andrew continues to deny any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein. Being named or pictured in the Epstein files does not in itself indicate wrongdoing.
William and Kate’s statement on Andrew
William and Princess Kate previously addressed the allegations in a statement. A spokesperson said the pair felt “deeply concerned by the continuing revelations”.
They added: “Their thoughts remain focused on the victims.”
Kensington Palace and Buckingham Palace have been contacted for comment.
Read more: British public’s ‘verdict’ on royal family’s handling of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor scandal
Myers’ book William and Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story will be published on February 26.
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