Prince William is reportedly preparing to take a firm stand regarding his uncle, Prince Andrew.
When the Prince of Wales, 43, eventually becomes king, he’s expected to take a tougher line than his father, King Charles, in dealing with his disgraced uncle, 65 — fully barring him from every aspect of royal life, according to a report from The Sunday Times.
The update comes shortly after Andrew — who has spent years grappling with the repercussions of his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein — released a statement on Oct. 17 announcing that he will give up his royal titles and honors. The decision was reportedly discussed among several members of the royal family, including William and the King.
According to The Sunday Times, while the King and his son are aligned in their stance on the matter, William isn’t completely satisfied with the current resolution. Once he ascends the throne, the outlet reports, he plans to ban Andrew entirely from royal duties — excluding him from both public and private family events, major state occasions, and even his coronation.
The report also claims that William intends to exclude Andrew’s ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, from royal events. Ferguson, 66, who has remained close to Andrew since their divorce nearly three decades ago, has faced her own scrutiny due to her connection to Epstein. Like her former husband, she will reportedly stop using her royal title moving forward.
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Meanwhile, the couple’s daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, will not be affected. William is said to plan to continue including them in royal gatherings and family affairs when he becomes king, according to The Sunday Times.
Prince Andrew’s fall from grace began in 2010 following his association with Epstein, but matters intensified in 2015 when he was named in a civil suit against the financier.
In that lawsuit, Virginia Giuffre (then Roberts) alleged that she was directed by Epstein to have sex with Andrew on three occasions when she was 17.
In January 2022, Queen Elizabeth II stripped Andrew of his military titles and patronages amid the lawsuit filed by Giuffre the previous year. Andrew denied the allegations and settled with Giuffre out of court in February 2022 for an undisclosed sum.
On Oct. 17, amid renewed scrutiny over his connection to Epstein, Andrew announced that he would step back even further, relinquishing his remaining titles and honors — including “Duke of York” — in a statement released by Buckingham Palace.
“In discussion with The King, and my immediate and wider family, we have concluded the continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family,” Andrew said. “I have decided, as I always have, to put my duty to my family and country first. I stand by my decision five years ago to stand back from public life.”
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“With His Majesty’s agreement, we feel I must now go a step further,” he continued. “I will therefore no longer use my title or the honours which have been conferred upon me. As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me.”
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