Prince William reportedly urged King Charles to permanently cut ties with Prince Andrew following the disastrous Newsnight interview, according to a new biography by The Mirror's royal editor Russell Myers. The book claims William has long viewed his uncle as a liability and wanted him removed from public life immediately.
The Newsnight interview, in which Andrew discussed his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, was widely seen as catastrophic for the monarchy. William contacted his father after the broadcast, pressing for swift action to protect the royal family's reputation and his own future as monarch.
A source told The Mirror: 'William never much liked his uncle and wanted him out of the picture immediately before the rot further set in. His view was that Andrew got himself into the whole mess, so he should be left to his own devices to sort it out away from the family.'
However, King Charles later invited Sarah, Duchess of York, to join the family at Sandringham for Christmas, marking her first participation in the church walk in 32 years. William fundamentally disagreed with this decision and challenged his father directly, but was reportedly 'very much put in his place'.
The biography also reveals that William's negative view of Andrew predated the scandal, with the Prince of Wales questioning his uncle's value to the monarchy for years. 'He’d always thought his uncle was a bit of an ignoramus,' a palace source said, adding that William had seen Andrew's dismissive treatment of staff.
Despite the tensions, William and Catherine joined the royal family at Sandringham alongside the King and Queen, with Camilla's children and grandchildren present for the first time. The harmonious scenes were short-lived, as Andrew faced further allegations in early 2022, leading William to again implore the King to strip his uncle of his remaining royal roles.
