Prince William’s scathing assessment of Uncle Andrew revealed in six words
Prince William privately called Prince Andrew’s behavior “a stain on the whole family” and urged his uncle to be banished from royal life “before the rot sets in.” RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The claims appear in William and Catherine: the intimate inside story by royal reporter Russell Myers, who calls on palace insiders to detail the fallout from Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s disaster 2019 News night interview.
In that broadcast, Andrew, 65, failed to express remorse for his association with convicted perpetrator Jeffrey Epstein and failed to acknowledge the impact on Epstein’s victims – a feat widely seen as catastrophic.
At the time, William was second in line to the throne, while his father, then Prince Charles, and his mother, Queen Elizabeth, favored a more protective approach.
Myers writes that William believed the monarchy was “embroiled in a full-scale firefight” in the aftermath of the interview and feared lasting damage to the institution’s credibility.
According to his book, William urged both his father and grandmother to permanently remove Andrew from public life, believing the scandal posed an existential threat.
On Thursday, February 19, Andrew was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office due to his connections to the vile pedophile.
A source quoted in the biography said: “Once you understand that everything that happens here and now affects everything in the future, William’s future, it is very easy to put yourself in his shoes. He never really liked his uncle and immediately wanted him out of the picture before the rot set in. William’s view was that (Andrew) had gotten himself into the whole mess, so he was left to his own devices to sort it out outside the family.”
Another palace insider told Myers that William’s position hardened as more allegations surfaced.
“The Prince of Wales was convinced that the whole (Andrew/Epstein) episode would never go away, and despite how others may have felt, there was absolutely no benefit to protecting Andrew,” the insider said. “His position was crystal clear: Andrew should not be near the family under any circumstances, not by association, not at family gatherings, anywhere.”
Describing William’s damning six-word assessment of Andrew’s behavior, the source added: “Every time there was a new revelation, which no one knew when it would come or what would be next, it was a ‘stain on the whole family.'”
According to insiders familiar with internal discussions, William saw the reputational damage to the royal family as cumulative.
“He believed that every headline erodes public confidence,” said an insider. “In his eyes, tolerating Andrew’s presence – even in private – risked being a sign of complacency.”
Myers’ book also details a reported clash between William and Charles, now 77, with one source claiming the now king “put him in his place” during a tense conversation about how to deal with Andrew.
Andrew has consistently denied wrongdoing. He was stripped of military titles and royal patronages in 2022 and has since relinquished his public duties.
In a joint statement, William, 43, and his wife, Catherine, Princess of Wales, 44, said they were “deeply concerned by the ongoing revelations” involving Andrew, adding that their thoughts “remain focused on the victims.”
Myers writes: ‘I have followed the Prince and Princess of Wales for almost a decade as part of the Royal Pack and have always believed that there is so much more to the couple than the spectacle shows.
‘The result of this biography is a truly intimate portrait of William and Catherine, which not only offers unparalleled insight into who they are as individuals, but also seismic revelations about them as a couple and the world they live in.
“This biography transcends the headlines and explores love, resilience and their journey together as they carry out their public duties in this unprecedented era.”
William and Catherine: the intimate inside story will be published on February 26 by Ebury, Penguin Random House.
