Prince William had previously made it clear that he would not be as lenient as his father, King Charles, while dealing with Prince Andrew. As he is reportedly doing the same, insiders are calling his approach “ruthless.”

​Last week, Prince Andrew voluntarily renounced his royal titles, including that of Duke of York, following discussions with King Charles and other senior family members, according to the BBC. In his statement, Andrew said, “After discussions with the King and my immediate and extended family, we have agreed that the ongoing allegations distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family. I have chosen, as I have always done, to prioritize my duty to my family and country.”

He also added, “With His Majesty’s consent, I will no longer use my title or the honors that have been bestowed upon me. As I have stated before, I vigorously deny the allegations against me”.

It should be noted here that this decision came amid the growing outrage and renewed attention surrounding Andrew’s connection to Jeffrey Epstein. The scandal was reignited following the release of a posthumous memoir by Virginia Giuffre, the woman who accused Andrew of sexually abusing her when she was 17.

Giuffre, who died by suicide in April 2025, detailed in her book “Nobody’s Girl” her fear that she might “die a s– slave” under Epstein’s control. She alleged that Andrew participated in three separate sexual encounters with her, claims he has always denied.

Giuffre’s memoir has reopened a fresh can of worms for the royals. It recounts her years of exploitation within Epstein’s network and claims that powerful figures, including Andrew, used their positions to abuse underage girls. Despite Andrew’s denials, the fallout has continued to erode public trust in the Royal Family.

King Charles is said to have reached his breaking point, reportedly calling Andrew personally in a brief ten-minute conversation last week to inform him that his “days as a senior Royal were over.” A palace insider told Daily Mail that “the King had become weary and furious with the ongoing scandal tarnishing the monarchy” and had demanded Andrew “do the right thing.”

The decision came after consultations with the Prince of Wales, who is believed to have encouraged a more uncompromising stance

According to reports, William advised his father that allowing Andrew to maintain even a symbolic royal role would only prolong the damage. One source quoted by royal biographer Christopher Andersen said, “Prince William has been encouraging his father to take action regarding Andrew for years.”

As heir to the throne, William’s direction is clear. Insiders told The Sunday Times that once he becomes King, he intends to exclude Andrew permanently, banning him from all royal events, both public and private, including his own coronation.

Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams stated, “When William becomes king, he is likely to pursue a tough policy, and we may never see Andrew or Sarah in public again at a royal event.” By contrast, King Charles has permitted Andrew’s presence at some family gatherings, such as Christmas and Easter services, though this leniency now appears unlikely to continue under William’s leadership.

It is important to note that Sarah Ferguson, Prince Andrew’s ex-wife, also had connections to Epstein and took £15,000 ($20,055) from him to deal with her debts. However, in an interview in 2001, she admitted that her decision to take help from Epstein was a mistake and that she hated him.

However, it has now come to light that after saying such things about Epstein publicly, she had also sent him an email where he expressed her regret at speaking this way about him. She had also mentioned that he was her “steadfast, generous and supreme friend.”

Given the fact that both Prince Andrew and his former wife Sarah were so closely associated with Epstein, it is only natural that Prince William does not want them to be actively associated with the royals and attend the royal events and gatherings.