A long-running rift between Prince William and his uncle, Prince Andrew, may have stemmed from an alleged “rude” remark Andrew once made about William’s wife, Princess Kate, according to a new royal biography.
In The Rise and Fall of the Yorks, author Andrew Lownie writes that William strongly supported King Charles III’s move to strip Andrew of his royal titles and honors due to his association with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. According to the book, William has taken an increasingly firm stance regarding Andrew’s continued public presence.
“He also loathes Sarah [Ferguson], Andrew’s ex-wife, and can’t wait for the day when his father throws them both out,” one source claims in the biography, as reported by the Daily Mail. The book suggests that if King Charles does not fully distance the two from royal properties, “the first thing William does when he eventually becomes king is to get them evicted.”
The biography also states that William, 43, became upset when Andrew and Ferguson attended the funeral of Katharine, Duchess of Kent, in September, allegedly feeling “ambushed” by their presence. Friends of the Prince of Wales say he has made efforts to avoid being photographed with Andrew.
Lownie notes that William believes his uncle, along with Ferguson, has harmed the public reputation of the monarchy. The specific remark that Andrew allegedly made about Princess Kate, also 43, has not been disclosed.
Representatives for Kensington Palace did not respond to requests for comment.
Prince Andrew was formally stripped of several titles on Thursday following renewed attention over his ties to Epstein. The changes included his titles of Prince, Duke of York, Earl of Inverness, and Baron Killyleagh, as well as the use of “His Royal Highness.” His honors such as the Order of the Garter and Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order were also removed. Ferguson’s Duchess of York title was separately relinquished.
The couple’s daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, retain their royal titles.
Andrew has reportedly accepted the changes. In a statement, he said he would “put duty to my family and country first” and step further back from public life to avoid distracting from the work of King Charles.
The scandal surrounding Andrew intensified after Virginia Giuffre filed a lawsuit in 2021 accusing him of sexual assault when she was a minor as part of Epstein’s trafficking network. The lawsuit was settled out of court in 2022; Andrew has continued to deny the allegations.
Queen Elizabeth II removed Andrew’s military roles and patronages before her passing in 2022.
