Prince William Made an Unexpected Gesture to Andrew After His Titles Were Stripped, New Book Reveals
Prince William reportedly reached out to Andrew after his title loss, adding an unexpected twist to their already tense family dynamic
Prince William has been known to be not very fond of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, which is why this gesture comes as a shock. When his uncle was stripped of royal titles, William apparently contacted him and offered condolences. Robert Hardman said this in his new biography of Queen Elizabeth, Elizabeth II: In Private. In Public. The Inside Story. Mountbatten-Windsor was “very touched” as per the book, especially since William was reportedly one of the few people who reached out to him during that time.
The Duke of Wales has not exactly been known to go easy on the disgraced ex-Prince, and reports over the years suggest he has been one of the main people pushing for a tougher approach when it comes to his uncle. Previously, Andrew Lownie told PEOPLE, “William wants it all cleaned out before he gets [on the throne]. He wants it dealt with now.” There has also been a more personal side to all this.
Reports suggest William may have held onto some resentment over the way his uncle treated his wife, Kate, early on. Lownie told PEOPLE that Mountbatten-Windsor was not especially welcoming when Kate first joined the royal family. The ex-Prince did not think she was “posh” enough and even looked down on her more “commoner” upbringing.
Back in August 2024, journalist Richard Kay even discussed the tension publicly, pointing to a clear strain in the relationship between William and his uncle. He told Mail Online, “Differences between monarch and heir do remain, especially when it comes to the Prince Andrew scandal," Kay said. "William has long held a grudge against Andrew for being unwelcoming when he first introduced the then Kate Middleton to the royal family and feels that his father has been too soft on him.”
It turns out William’s concerns about Mountbatten-Windsor did not just start recently. In William and Catherine: The Monarchy's New Era: The Inside Story, author Russell Myers claims William had been uneasy about his uncle’s role in the royal family for quite some time, and it was long before his titles were eventually stripped. The book also says things escalated after the ex-Prince’s 2019 Newsnight interview about his links to Jeffrey Epstein. Following that, William reportedly had a serious talk with his father, King Charles, urging him, along with Queen Elizabeth, to step in and deal with the situation.
And while nothing of consequence happened back then, things took a turn for the worse after the latter’s connection with the convicted financier resurfaced with the release of Epstein files, leaving King Charles with no choice but to strip Mountbatten-Windsor of his titles in October 2025. He was also evicted from the Royal Lodge along with his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson. Things further escalated when he was arrested on his 66th birthday due to suspicions of public office misconduct. He was detained for allegedly leaking trade secrets to the late financier while serving as a U.K. trade envoy. Currently, he is permanently settled on Marsh Farms of the King’s Sandringham Estate.
