Earlier this week, Prince Andrew announced his intention to relinquish his official royal titles, and retreat even further from public life. Now, it's being reported that Prince William is gravely "concerned" about his uncle's continued involvement in any royal events, as well as how the former Duke of York's presence might be received by abuse victims.
The Sunday Times's royal editor, Roya Nikkhah, said of the situation, "Buckingham Palace says the Prince of Wales was 'consulted' on the decision, but it is understood that he is not satisfied with the outcome and knows the 'Andrew problem' will be in his in-tray at some point."
Nikkhah continued, "When William is king, Andrew will be banned from all elements of royal life. He will be excluded from public and private royal events, including the coronation, and banned from most state occasions." As Nikkhah made clear, "The next monarch will be more ruthless."
The Mail on Sunday reiterated Nikkhah's viewpoint, suggesting that Prince William is particularly "concerned about the message that Andrew's attendance at royal events gives to sexual abuse victims."
Royal expert Duncan Larcombe previously told GB News, "William saw his uncle as nothing more than a real pariah, frankly." Larcombe continued, "William is no fool...He's got his destiny to fulfill and he read the room." The royal expert also suggested that the Andrew situation "shows exactly how much influence William now has inside King Charles's court."
However, until Prince William becomes king, there's presumably only so much influence he's able to have over a situation.
A former royal courtier told Nikkhah, "We're definitely in uncharted territory for royal scandals." With the forthcoming release of the late Virginia Giuffre's memoir, which allegedly contains further allegations regarding Prince Andrew and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, it's unlikely the world has heard the last of the former Duke of York.
