Prince William wants the former Prince Andrew “dealt with” before it’s his turn to take the throne, a royal biographer claims — and some say the tension stems from a longstanding grudge.
In August 2024, more than a year before King Charles stripped Andrew of his royal titles, journalist Richard Kay told the Mail Online that the animosity between William and his uncle dates back to Andrew’s early treatment of Kate Middleton.
“Differences between monarch and heir do remain, especially when it comes to the Prince Andrew scandal,” Kay said. “William has long held a grudge against Andrew for being unwelcoming when he first introduced the then Kate Middleton to the royal family and feels that his father has been too soft on him.”
Royal biographer Andrew Lownie previously told PEOPLE that Andrew “wasn’t nice when Kate came into the family. He thought she wasn’t posh enough,” referencing the Princess of Wales’ “commoner” background.
Speaking with PEOPLE for this week’s cover story on the former Duke of York, Lownie says Andrew’s life inside the royal bubble has shaped him. “Status is everything to him — it’s his only sense of identity,” he says.
Lownie also notes that Andrew’s latest scandal — his Feb. 19 arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office — has renewed William’s push for a tougher approach. The arrest came amid an investigation into claims that Andrew disclosed confidential information to Jeffrey Epstein while serving as a trade envoy; it does not appear connected to any allegations of sexual misconduct.
“William wants it all cleaned out before he gets [on the throne],” Lownie says. “He wants it dealt with now.”
King Charles is said to remain “very fond” of Andrew’s daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, according to royal author Ingrid Seward. The sisters — who are not senior working royals but retained their titles — attended Christmas with the royal family without their parents.
In October 2025, King Charles announced he was removing Andrew’s royal titles as scrutiny over his ties to Epstein intensified. Andrew was also forced to give up the lease on his longtime Windsor home, Royal Lodge. But William reportedly wanted action taken far earlier, even before newly released Epstein files further linked the former Duke of York to the disgraced financier. Andrew has denied any wrongdoing related to Epstein.
Last month, royal biographer Russell Myers shared an excerpt from his upcoming book William and Catherine: The Monarchy’s New Era: The Inside Story, out March 10, claiming William began pushing for Andrew’s removal from royal life after the former prince’s disastrous 2019 Newsnight interview.
A source said, “Once you understand the fact that everything that happens in the here and now affects everything in the future — William’s future — it is very easy to put yourself in his shoes. He never much liked his uncle and wanted him out of the picture immediately before the rot further set in.”
“William’s view was that he [Andrew] got himself into the whole mess, so he should be left to his own devices to sort it out away from the family,” the source added. “The Prince of Wales was adamant the whole episode would never go away and, despite how others may have felt, there was absolutely no upside in Andrew being protected.”
“His view was crystal clear: Andrew shouldn’t be anywhere near the family under any circumstances — not by association, not at family functions, anywhere. Every single time there was a new revelation, which no one knew when it was coming or what the next one would be, it was a stain on all of the family.”
