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Prince William will be far more ‘ruthless’ than his father when it comes to the ‘Prince Andrew problem’, royal sources have revealed.
Andrew has surrendered his royal titles as scrutiny surrounding his association with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein intensifies. The royal family is now preparing itself for additional embarrassment as Prince Andrew sex accuser Virginia Giuffre’s highly anticipated memoir has arrived on shelves today.
Giuffre, who died by suicide in April at the age of 41, penned an emotional autobiography prior to her tragic death. The memoir recounts the horrors she endured under billionaire sex offender Epstein, who she alleged trafficked her to Andrew.
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The former duke has strenuously denied the allegations made against him.
On Friday, King Charles informed Andrew his existence as a senior royal had concluded during a 10-minute telephone conversation. Royal sources described how the King had become “weary and furious” regarding the persistent wave of scandal engulfing the monarchy and informed Andrew that decisive action was required to halt it, reports the Mirror.
One royal source stated: “After close consultation with his family, and in particular Prince William, the King summoned Andrew to tell him to do the right thing. He was told it was beyond comprehension for him to continue to enjoy the privileges of his position.”
The King has been in close consultation with William regarding Andrew’s fate, and it is understood that both father and son are united in their approach to dealing with the disgraced former duke. However, recent reports suggest that the Prince of Wales is “not satisfied” with the outcome concerning Andrew’s titles.
According to The Sunday Times, William is expected to adopt a more ‘ruthless’ stance once he ascends to the throne, planning to exclude Andrew from all aspects of royal life. This would mean Andrew being barred from public and private royal events, including William’s coronation, and most state occasions, as per the report.
Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams stated: “When William becomes King he is likely to pursue a tough policy and we may never see Andrew or Sarah in public again at a royal event.”
In contrast, despite the ongoing scandals surrounding Andrew, he has been permitted to attend “family occasions” with senior royals during Charles and his mother’s reign, including Christmas at Sandringham in 2022 and 2023, as well as Easter services at St George’s Chapel.
Most recently, he was seen alongside William at the Duchess of Kent’s funeral at Westminster Cathedral last month. It was an uncomfortable situation.
Observers noted that William did not react to remarks made by his uncle, who stood next to him on the steps of Westminster Cathedral, instead maintaining a straight face and barely acknowledging Andrew’s presence.
Royal insiders suggest that William may also exclude Sarah Ferguson from future Royal events. In a March 2011 interview, she admitted to making a “terrible, terrible error of judgment” by accepting £15,000 from Epstein to settle debts, stating: “I abhor paedophilia.”
However, it was disclosed just last month that she had later sent an email to Epstein apologising for her public criticism of him and referring to him as her “steadfast, generous and supreme friend”.
Yet, it has now been alleged that Epstein grumbled to friends about Sarah’s requests for money exceeding the £15,000 she confessed to receiving from him. According to emails viewed by the Daily Mail, Epstein claimed that Fergie was so eager to ingratiate herself with him that “she was the first to celebrate” his release from prison and that she journeyed to the US “with her two daughters in tow” at the time.
Both William and Charles are reported to sympathise with Andrew and Sarah’s daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, whose titles and status remain unchanged. However, their future prominent roles within the royal family are now uncertain.
Currently, Beatrice and Eugenie are non-working royals, and while they occasionally undertake roles – Princess Eugenie was recently announced as a mentor for the King’s Foundation’s 35 under 35 network. Royal commentator Victoria Murphy has stated she now “can’t see a world” where they would assume royal duties in any official capacity.
“I don’t think that was ever really on the cards, and I certainly don’t see it as an option,” she informed the BBC.
Beatrice and Eugenie have been present at key Royal events over the past year, including a Buckingham Palace garden party hosted by the Prince and Princess of Wales, and a Kew Gardens gala with the King and Queen.
However, royal author Phil Dampier concurs with Murphy’s evaluation, telling the Mail that any plan to bring them into a more active role is “probably a non-starter now that both the Duke and Duchess of York are in the doghouse”.
While the royal family will be hoping Andrew’s personal statement about his titles will provide some relief from the damaging headlines that have become a daily occurrence, this seems unlikely. In the coming days, further allegations are likely to focus on Andrew following the release of Giuffre’s posthumous memoir.
This will likely strengthen calls for Andrew’s prince title to be removed – something the government could do if Letters Patent were issued by the King. Whether Charles is compelled into further action remains to be seen. However, his son has made no secret of his ambition to adopt a new approach when his time comes.
In a recent interview with Canadian actor and comedian Eugene Levy, William expressed his desire to ensure the institution he will one day lead was “fit for purpose”.
“Change is on my agenda,” he declared. “Change for good. I don’t fear it.”
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