William Fixes the Andrew ‘Mess’ in Just Two Weeks — Sources Say Charles Is King Only ‘in Name Now’

Prince William and King Charles III attend the Countdown to COP30 at the Natural History Museum; (Inset) Andrew Mountbatten Windsor attends the Endurance event. Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Henry Nicholls; (Inset) Max Mumby

Nov. 04 2025, Published 07:49 AM. ET

It seems Prince William was keen on cleaning up his father’s mess. The ‘Andrew problem’ was years in the making, but William allegedly wanted it decisively solved under King Charles's reign and not passed down to him. This is what led to the decision of his uncle being stripped of his remaining titles and styles, reducing him only to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor.

Prince William, Prince of Wales, and Andrew Mountbatten Windsor at the Duchess of Kent's Funeral. (Image Source: Getty Images | Jordan Pettitt - Pool)

The move came stamped with Charles's official seal, but whispers behind Palace doors suggest that William had a firmer hand in the matter. Sources close to the heir apparent told The Daily Beast that William pushed for the decisive move, frustrated with what he viewed as years of hesitation and half-measures. A close friend of the Prince of Wales said William intervened after feeling 'dismayed' by the arrangement made earlier, one that removed Mountbatten Windsor’s Duke of York honor but still let him remain at Royal Lodge and keep his title as prince.

“Charles has been trying and failing to get Mountbatten Windsor out of Royal Lodge for the past three years,” a source told the outlet. “William did it in two weeks. William is king in all but name now,” suggesting that William is not waiting for the Crown to act like a monarch.

Prince William, Prince of Wales, Great Master of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, attends a Service for The Order of the Bath at Westminster Abbey. (Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Max Mumby/Indigo) — Prince William, Prince of Wales, Great Master of the Most Honorable Order of the Bath, attends a Service for The Order of the Bath at Westminster Abbey. (Image Source: Getty Images | Max Mumby/Indigo)

It is also being said that behind the scenes, this is what is taking a toll on the monarch, who is ‘utterly exhausted at this stage.' A former Palace courtier told the outlet the scandal had left the King emotionally drained, especially in light of his health struggles. The monarchy’s approval ratings, plunging to below 50 percent in the UK for the first time, didn't help. However, it is evidently different for William. He has long recognized that the monarchy's credibility cannot survive indefinitely in the shadow of his uncle's controversies.

Prince Andrew, Duke of York, King Charles III and Prince William, Prince of Wales attend the Funeral of the Duchess of Kent at Westminster Cathedral. (Image Source: Getty Images | Chris Jackson) — Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, King Charles III, and Prince William, Prince of Wales, attend the Funeral of the Duchess of Kent at Westminster Cathedral. (Image Source: Getty Images | Chris Jackson)

The turning point, as per sources, came when William realized that every attempt to rehabilitate Mountbatten Windsor through efforts by Charles since Queen Elizabeth's death had spectacularly failed. Far from suppressing the scandal, it prolonged it. A source reportedly said, "William has long grasped that the monarchy has been held hostage by Andrew's scandal and knew a ransom would have to be paid." And the ‘ransom’ here, as turned out, was the 'millions' Charles had to pay to get Mountbatten Windsor to surrender his Royal Lodge lease, and move to a privately funded property.