Prince William is believed to hold a grudge against his disgraced uncle Prince Andrew that stems right back to the early days of his romance with then-Kate Middleton
Prince William is said to hold a ‘grudge’ against his uncle, Prince Andrew, which stems right back to the start of his relationship with Kate.
Andrew was forced to step down as a working member of the Royal Family in 2020 following his disastrous BBC Newsnight interview in which he spoke about his connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Then in January 2022, Buckingham Palace confirmed that Andrew’s military titles and royal patronages had been returned to the Queen.
Since then, he has kept a low-profile – reportedly at the insistence of King Charles and his eldest son, William.
It’s thought William played a key role in the decision to see Andrew kicked out of his offices at Buckingham Palace, and has been vocal in his insistence that the Duke should be banned from official royal events.
There is also speculation that it is William who is pushing his father to evict the Duke of York from Royal Lodge. According to the Daily Mail’s Richard Kay: “William has long held a grudge against Andrew for being unwelcoming when he first introduced the then Kate ÂMiddleton to the Royal Family and feels that his father has been too soft on him.”
Charles is now said to be pushing for Andrew to vacate the sprawling Royal Lodge estate in favour of something smaller – Frogmore Cottage , which was previously home to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. It has reportedly become something of an issue for the siblings, with Andrew reluctant to move house.
Royal author and expert Tom Quinn previously told the Mirror : “For King Charles, forcing Andrew to move to Frogmore solves several problems at once – it sends a message to Harry that, as a private citizen and no longer a working royal, he will never be allowed back to Frogmore.
“It sends [a] message to Andrew that having disgraced himself, he can no longer expect to live in the grand style. And, finally, it means that a suitably grand residence can be made ready for the royals who really matter – William and Kate. Charles is determined that Royal Lodge is the only residence on the royal estate at Windsor that is big enough and regal enough for his heir.”
However, it remains to be seen whether William and Kate would want to take on the property, should Andrew leave.
A friend of the couple further told Kay: “Taking on Royal Lodge would mean a Âtransformation in the way they lead their lives.
“One of the main reasons why the couple are so content at Adelaide Cottage, their current home in Windsor Great Park, is because it is a family house and there are no live-in staff. Moving into the vast Royal Lodge would mean having to accommodate domestic staff, something they have long resisted.”
It’s instead been suggested that the home could be offered to the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh. Alternatively, an insider told The Sun: “It makes sense for Royal Lodge to be handed back to Crown Estates, which can pay for the much-needed repairs and renovations. It could then be rented to earn money for them, the King’s coffers and the country rather than being a drain on everyone’s resources.”
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