This is the moment Prince William‘s feud with his uncle Prince Andrew was revealed to the world – with the pair caught on camera sharing a frosty exchange at the Duchess of Kent’s funeral.
In a bombshell statement released on Thursday night, Buckingham Palace said the disgraced royal will now only be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor.
The Duke and Duchess of Wales fully support the decision – with it previously being claimed that William has started to ‘call the shots’ on Andrew to protect his cancer-stricken father.
Royal biographer Andrew Lownie said: ‘He’s [William] much more ruthless than his father and I think he can see the huge reputational damage that’s been done.’
His comments were in response to Andrew’s bombshell statement on October 17 when he announced he would no longer be known as the Duke of York.
Moreover last month, Prince William seemingly shunned his uncle on the steps of Westminster Cathedral, where a service had been held for the Duchess of Kent.
Andrew could be seen trying to jovially engage with his nephew in conversation, shortly after her coffin was carried into the state hearse.
He appeared to reminisce with the Prince of Wales about a previous time they spent together, telling him ‘we had a lovely time didn’t we then,’ according to a lip reader.
But William did not reply and simply glanced at his uncle, before studiously looking forward, rubbing his nose and rocking on his heels.
The Prince of Wales appeared to reveal his true thoughts about Andrew during the Duchess of Kent’s funeral last month
Prince William and Princess Kate fully support the King’s decision to strip Andrew of his Prince title and evict him from Royal Lodge
After a quick smirk and an awkward pause, the Andrew attempted to continue the conversation.
‘And spending time with us,’ he added, to which William did not respond and instead simply nodded his head in silence.
In a clinically cold statement last night, Buckingham Palace made it clear that the censures on Andrew were ‘deemed necessary’.
They follow the publication of his accuser Virginia Giuffre’s explosive memoir earlier this month, in which she made a number of claims against the former prince.
‘His Majesty has today initiated a formal process to remove the Style, Titles and Honours of Prince Andrew,’ the palace said.
‘Prince Andrew will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. His lease on Royal Lodge has, to date, provided him with legal protection to continue in residence.
‘Formal notice has now been served to surrender the lease and he will move to alternative private accommodation.
‘These censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him.
‘Their Majesties wish to make clear that their thoughts and utmost sympathies have been, and will remain with, the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse.’
Sources told the Mail that the move was entirely down to the King and his advisors, without pressure from the government or other family members, such as Prince William.
Andrew was seen grinning and engaging in light conversation at the end of the Requiem Mass, on the day of the funeral of the Duchess of Kent
Sources told the Mail that the move was entirely down to the King and his advisors, without pressure from the government or other family members, such as Prince William
‘The process has been underway for some while but there was a need to get it right in the face of some very big challenges,’ a source said.
Notice was not served on Prince Andrew to move. It was his lease, so it was up to the former Duke of York to serve notice himself, suggesting that he is not fighting the process.
It is understood the King is sending Royal Warrants to the Lord Chancellor to remove the Dukedom of York from the Peerage Roll, and the Title of Prince and Style of ‘Royal Highness’ from Andrew.
The name title change, which will take immediate effect.
Andrew will now move onto a property on the private Sandringham estate and it is understood any future accommodation he lives will be privately funded by The King.
Princess Beatrice and Eugenie will retain their Royal titles despite their father Andrew no longer being a Prince.
They will keep their Honours in line with King George V‘s Letters Patent of 1917, it is understood.
Amid the controversy Charles is said to be very keen to ‘protect’ nieces Princess Beatrice, 37, and Princess Eugenie, 35, who remain Her Royal Highnesses as granddaughters of Queen Elizabeth.
Prince Andrew arrives to attend a Requiem Mass, a Catholic funeral service, for the late Duchess of Kent
Pictured: Royal Lodge. Andrew will now move onto a property on the private Sandringham estate
‘He wouldn’t have wanted to sign off on anything that would impact them,’ a source told the Daily Mail.
The announcement comes a week after the disgraced former duke renounced his titles after King Charles III threatened to have them officially stripped unless he ‘saw sense’.
His Majesty, made it clear the would not hesitate to take ‘further action’ if his younger brother continued to cling on to his dukedom and other honours after it emerged he lied about cutting ties with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, The Daily Mail previously revealed.
And despite the tsunami of growing evidence mounting against him, the 65-year-old was understood to still be digging his heel is with a ‘startling lack of contrition’, in a situation the King deemed ‘intolerable’, sources previously said.
Last week, the row over Royal Lodge where Andrew had resided continued to grow amid damning new revelations in a posthumous memoir from Andrew’s sex abuse accuser Virginia Giuffre, who took her own life this year, aged 41.
Nobody’s Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice is scheduled for release in October, with the manuscript finished before she died.
The explosive book revolves around her years spent as a sex slave to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein and his British madam Ghislaine Maxwell.
Extracts published by The Guardian show Ms Giuffre, who said she was trafficked by Epstein three times for sex with Andrew, calls the ex-Duke ‘entitled’ and viewing sex as his ‘birthright’.
The explosive book revolves around her years spent as a sex slave to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein and his British madam Ghislaine Maxwell.
Extracts published by The Guardian show Ms Giuffre, who said she was trafficked by Epstein three times for sex with Andrew, calls the ex-Duke ‘entitled’ and viewing sex as his ‘birthright’.
Within the 400-page autobiography, she also claims the ex-Duke said ‘thank you’ in a ‘clipped British accent’ after their alleged first encounter when she was 17.
