Prince William Is "Concerned" About the "Risk" Prince Andrew Poses to the Monarchy and the Troubling "Message" His Uncle's Presence Might Send to Abuse Victims

William "is not satisfied" with how the "Andrew problem" has been handled, per a royal expert.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - SEPTEMBER 16: (EMBARGOED FOR PUBLICATION IN UK NEWSPAPERS UNTIL 24 HOURS AFTER CREATE DATE AND TIME) Prince Andrew, Duke of York and Prince William, Prince of Wales attend Katharine, Duchess of Kent's Requiem Mass service at Westminster Cathedral on September 16, 2025 in London, England. Katharine, Duchess of Kent was married to Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, a first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. She died on September 4 at the age of 92 at Kensington Palace surrounded by her family. Having converted to Catholicism in 1994, her funeral takes place at Westminster Cathedral and is the first Catholic funeral to be held for a member of the royal family in modern British history. Her Royal Highness will be laid to rest at the Royal Burial Ground at Frogmore, Windsor. (Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Earlier this week, Prince Andrew announced his intention to relinquish his official royal titles, and retreat even further from public life. Now, it's being reported that Prince William is gravely "concerned" about his uncle's continued involvement in any royal events, as well as how the former Duke of York's presence might be received by abuse victims.

The Sunday Times's royal editor, Roya Nikkhah, said of the situation, "Buckingham Palace says the Prince of Wales was 'consulted' on the decision, but it is understood that he is not satisfied with the outcome and knows the 'Andrew problem' will be in his in-tray at some point."

Nikkhah continued, "When William is king, Andrew will be banned from all elements of royal life. He will be excluded from public and private royal events, including the coronation, and banned from most state occasions." As Nikkhah made clear, "The next monarch will be more ruthless."

Prince Andrew and King Charles laughing and holding programs standing next to Prince William, who is looking away

"Buckingham Palace says the Prince of Wales was 'consulted' on the decision."

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The Mail on Sunday reiterated Nikkhah's viewpoint, suggesting that Prince William is particularly "concerned about the message that Andrew's attendance at royal events gives to sexual abuse victims."

Royal expert Duncan Larcombe previously told GB News, "William saw his uncle as nothing more than a real pariah, frankly." Larcombe continued, "William is no fool...He's got his destiny to fulfill and he read the room." The royal expert also suggested that the Andrew situation "shows exactly how much influence William now has inside King Charles's court."

However, until Prince William becomes king, there's presumably only so much influence he's able to have over a situation.

Prince William and Prince Andrew at the Order of the Garter

"William saw his uncle as nothing more than a real pariah, frankly."

(Image credit: Arthur Edwards - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

A former royal courtier told Nikkhah, "We're definitely in uncharted territory for royal scandals." With the forthcoming release of the late Virginia Giuffre's memoir, which allegedly contains further allegations regarding Prince Andrew and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, it's unlikely the world has heard the last of the former Duke of York.

Amy Mackelden
Weekend Editor

Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.