Prince William pushed to 'banish' Andrew years before title stripping over Epstein

The Prince of Wales argued that Andrew's scandals posed a lasting threat to the monarchy

New revelations reveal that Prince William had consistently urged senior royals to remove his uncle, Prince Andrew, from the royal family long before his titles were formally taken away.

William privately argued as early as 2019 — after Andrew’s infamous BBC interview about his links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein — that his uncle should be banished entirely from the royal fold to protect the monarchy’s reputation. He reportedly told his father and the late Queen Elizabeth II that Andrew posed a lasting threat and should be “kept at arm’s length” from public and family duties.

William’s stance was driven by fears that repeated scandals and revelations related to Andrew’s relationship with Epstein would continue to damage the institution’s credibility. He felt that Andrew’s ongoing presence at official functions and family events risked further embarrassment and harm to the royal brand long term.

Those earlier calls for a decisive break predated the October 2025 action by King Charles III, who ultimately stripped Andrew of his royal titles and honours amid renewed scrutiny of the Epstein files and public pressure.

Despite Andrew stepping back from public duties years ago, William’s push for full exclusion highlights how internal royal tensions over his uncle’s role have simmered for much longer than previously acknowledged.

Although Buckingham Palace has not publicly confirmed the behind‑the‑scenes push, William and his wife, Catherine, Princess of Wales, recently issued a statement expressing deep concern for victims affected by the wider Epstein scandal — their first formal comment on the matter since the renewed revelations emerged.