In the wake of the continuing backlash and public outrage following the latest round of revelations about Prince Andrew's ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, King Charles decided to take the unprecedented step of formally stripping his brother of his "Prince" title.
Buckingham Palace announced the decision in a release on Thursday, October 30 that explained that the King has evicted Prince Andrew from Royal Lodge and "initiated a formal process to remove the Style, Titles and Honours of Prince Andrew" and that the former Duke of York "will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor."
While the decision was no doubt a difficult one for Charles to make about his younger brother, Us Weekly reports that he "apparently received full support from the royal family—including William," who, the outlet notes, is widely reported to have "drama with his uncle."
According to Christopher Andersen, royal author of The King: The Life of Charles III, offered some insight into the possible origins of the rift between William and Andrew, which apparently runs deep, explaining that Andrew “was never welcoming towards Kate [Middleton]” when she joined the royal family.
“Andrew has never been a great judge of character, so it’s not surprising that he would resent someone as stellar as Kate eclipsing him and pretty much everyone else in the monarchy,” Andersen added of the disgraced royal, who he called “a snob.”
Andersen isn't the only royal expert who points to Andrew's issues with Kate as a sore spot between him and his nephew. In a recent interview with Fox News Digital, royal expert Hilary Fordwich said William and Andrew's feud started "primarily" because of the former prince's issues with—and treatment of—Kate.
“The feud between Prince William and Prince Andrew started primarily due to Andrew’s jealousy and resulting disparaging remarks regarding Kate Middleton,” Fordwich said. “Being fiercely protective, he instituted a zero-tolerance policy toward any wayward behavior or scandals involving Prince Andrew.”
Fordwich went on to claim that Will was “infuriated” by Andrew’s comments about Kate, whose popularity rose quickly among royal fans during a time when Andrew's was "plummeting."
"All the more daunting for Andrew was his displacement as his mother’s ‘golden boy’ since he was viewed as Queen Elizabeth II’s favorite," Fordwich added. “His resentment grew with his plummeting popularity and was then further exacerbated by Kate’s prominence and poise."
