A frosty exchange between Prince William and Prince Andrew at the Duchess of Kent's funeral last month has been revealed as the first public sign of William's role in pushing his uncle out of royal life. According to a lip reader, Andrew tried to engage William in conversation on the steps of Westminster Abbey, saying 'We had a lovely time, didn't we, then?' William remained silent, glancing at Andrew before looking ahead with a thin-lipped expression.
The Duke of York, 65, relinquished all his remaining titles and honours earlier this month after it emerged he had lied about cutting ties with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein. While King Charles pressured his brother to give up his dukedom, historian Andrew Lownie told the Daily Mail that William 'called the shots' behind the scenes, acting decisively to protect his cancer-stricken father and the Crown.
Lownie described William as 'much more ruthless than his father' and said the timing of the move was driven by criticism that the King was too weak. The historian's book, 'Entitled, the Rise and Fall of the House of York', was serialised in the Daily Mail and is considered the most explosive biography of 2025.
At the funeral, William appeared to try to stop Andrew's grinning by covering his mouth and saying something, causing Andrew to abruptly drop his smile. Body language expert Judi James noted that William's 'non-verbal responses' suggested 'awkwardness' between the pair.
Since giving up his titles, Andrew faces pressure to vacate the Royal Lodge, where he has lived since 2003. Legal experts say his lease is watertight until 2078, but he could be hauled before Parliament to answer questions about his living arrangements after Sir Keir Starmer backed the idea. Andrew is also expected to be called to speak about his links to Epstein before a US committee.
