Prince William and Kate Middleton have been deeply concerned by Andrew’s Epstein scandal for years, with the future King repeatedly demanding his uncle’s exile, a new royal book claims
Andrew Mountbatten Windsor’s fall from grace within the royal family has been a long time coming, and it’s sparked some fiery disputes behind palace doors.
Upon his coronation in September 2022, King Charles relieved Andrew of his public duties and stripped him of his HRH title. Then, in October 2025, he dealt the final blow, evicting his scandal-ridden younger brother, stripping him of his prince title, and unceremoniously booting him out under the veil of night earlier this month.
Now, he’s simply a commoner. Given the wave of public fury aimed at Andrew due to his ties with Jeffrey Epstein, Charles was left with no choice but to act decisively. However, his eldest son, Prince William, would have taken action much sooner.
The future king has been at loggerheads with his uncle for quite some time and has repeatedly called for measures to be taken, as revealed in a new explosive royal book. ‘William and Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story’, penned by the Mirror’s royal editor Russell Myers, draws on his extensive experience tracking the royal couple and is set to hit the shelves on 26th February, reports the Mirror.
It’s the first joint biography of the Prince and Princess of Wales in over 10 years. The author reveals that Prince William’s negative perception of his uncle, Prince Andrew, existed long before the latter’s public disgrace. William reportedly viewed Andrew as a ‘bit of an ignoramus’ and questioned his role.
“But it was more than that. He’d seen how Andrew behaved in front of staff, ordering people about, the aggressive or dismissive manner, they’d never seen eye to eye,” writes Myers.
However, it was Andrew’s association with convicted paedophile Epstein that became the final straw. Following Andrew’s notorious Newsnight interview in 2019, William firmly believed that immediate action was necessary.
Whilst Andrew astonishingly thought the interview had ‘gone well’, it was widely regarded as a catastrophe – not just for him, but for the monarchy as a whole.
In the aftermath, Myers discloses that William approached his father and the late Queen, urging them to take action. He feared not only the public backlash but also the implications for his own future.
The book reveals that both William and Kate were incensed by Andrew’s failure to apologise for his ties to Epstein or acknowledge the victims of sexual abuse. They are said to be completely united on the issue of Andrew.
A source informed the author that William believed Andrew should be removed from the royal picture immediately ‘before the rot set in further’. “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,” they said.
Then, in August 2021, the monarchy faced further embarrassment. Virginia Giuffre, a victim of Epstein who tragically took his own life last year, lodged a civil lawsuit against Andrew in New York, accusing him of sexual assault when she was just 17.
Despite attempts to have it dismissed, the case, filed under the Child Victims Act, moved forward. Consequently, in January 2022, the late Queen stripped her second son of his honorary military titles, royal patronages, and the use of the “His Royal Highness” (HRH) style.
The case was eventually settled out of court the following month, with the Queen, Prince Philip and the then-Prince Charles reportedly lending Andrew £12million to pay off Giuffre.
Tensions flared again during the festive season in 2023. The King extended an olive branch to Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, inviting them both to Sandringham (Sarah’s first invite in 32 years).
Charles’s decision to welcome his brother back into the family fold was something William fundamentally disagreed with, leading him to confront his father directly. However, a source privy to the conversation revealed that William was “very much put in his place”.
However, just as the prince had anticipated, this period of calm proved fleeting. The beginning of 2024 brought renewed and fierce examination after US court documents from 2015 were unsealed, filed by Andrew’s accuser Giuffre against Ghislaine Maxwell, who supplied underage girls for Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse.
The papers alleged that the then-Duke of York had enjoyed ‘daily massages’ during regular stays at Epstein’s Florida residence. Claims that he had participated in an ‘underage orgy’ also re-emerged.
Furious, William once more urged the King to take action by removing Andrew’s remaining titles and ‘exiling’ him from the family permanently to safeguard the institution’s reputation. Charles, however, was thought to be trying to respect the wishes of his late mother, the Queen, who believed her second son would eventually be cleared.
Therefore, he fell short of demanding his exile. “By contrast, William made it clear that once he became king there would be no such mercy.”
One palace insider revealed to Myers: “His 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.”
In October 2025, a freshly leaked email revealed that Andrew had told Epstein ‘we are in this together’ after an image of the royal with his arm around a teenage Virginia Giuffre was initially published in 2011. This email seemed to contradict his earlier assertion on BBC Newsnight that he had severed ties with the convicted paedophile by then.
Just days later, Andrew declared he was relinquishing his titles, including the Duke of York, following “discussion with the King”. In his statement, he expressed that the “continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family “.
Then, as October drew to a close, came the final nail in the coffin. Buckingham Palace confirmed that Andrew was being stripped of his ‘Prince’ title, henceforth known simply as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor.
The palace also announced that Andrew had been formally instructed to give up his lease on Royal Lodge, his sprawling 30-room mansion in Windsor.
Yet, the ‘Andrew problem’ continues to cast a shadow over the royals. Although he has now been relocated to Sandringham, away from prying eyes, scandal continues to dog Andrew with the unveiling of the latest Epstein files.
There are mounting calls for him to testify before the US Congress, whilst police have stated they are investigating Andrew over allegations he shared confidential reports from his role as the UK’s trade envoy with sex offender Epstein.
On 9 February, Prince William and Kate Middleton finally addressed the controversy surrounding Prince Andrew’s involvement in the Epstein scandal. A spokesperson from Kensington Palace stated: “I can confirm that the Prince and Princess of Wales have been deeply concerned by the continued revelations. Their thoughts remain focused on the victims.”
Shortly after, King Charles III also released a statement. “The King has made clear, in words and through unprecedented actions, his profound concern at allegations which continue to come to light in respect of Mr Mountbatten-Windsor’s conduct,” a Palace spokesman said.
“Whilst the specific claims in question are for Mr Mountbatten-Windsor to address, if we are approached by Thames Valley Police we stand ready to support them as you would expect.”
It appears there is no way back for Prince Andrew, with both the King and his successor now united on the issue. The decision to remove him from Royal Lodge under the cover of darkness earlier this month reportedly came after an “urgent meeting” between Charles and William at Sandringham.
The final straw, according to royal insiders, was the sight of Andrew casually riding around the Windsor estate on his horse, waving at members of the public.
The scandal-ridden former Prince made his final appearance with the royal family at the funeral of the Duchess of Kent at Westminster Cathedral on 16 September 2025, joined by his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson. It was a remarkable gathering.
Andrew, seen laughing and smiling at times, attempted to engage William in conversation – without success.
Andrew, now 65, continues to vehemently deny any misconduct. He is also reportedly in total denial about his spectacular downfall.