Prince William Had a "Dark Fear" Over Ex-Prince Andrew's "Royal Exile," While King Charles Had Many "Sleepless Nights," Say Experts

In October 2025, King Charles officially demoted Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, removing his brother's royal titles and evicting him from Royal Lodge. Prior to this decision, much had been alleged regarding the Royal Family's feelings about Andrew's association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. According to multiple royal experts, both Prince William and King Charles had strong reactions to the scandal.

As reported by the Mirror, Prince William allegedly had a "dark Andrew fear" regarding his uncle's "royal exile." In his book Endgame, royal expert Omid Scobie discussed the Royal Family's early conversations regarding Andrew's association with Epstein, the outlet reported.

"Though [Queen Elizabeth II] was the official face of Andrew's reckoning, it was Prince William who set the wheels in motion," Scobie wrote (via the Mirror), referencing the lawsuit Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre brought against the former Duke of York. Giuffre received an undisclosed financial sum from Andrew in an out-of-court settlement in 2022, the BBC reported.

According to Scobie's book, Giuffre's lawsuit was William's "snapping point" when it came to his uncle Andrew. Meanwhile, King Charles reportedly experienced a plethora of "sleepless nights" regarding Andrew's situation, although he also had some degree of "brotherly bias," Scobie wrote.

A recent report in the Times claimed that William's reaction to his uncle's public difficulties had been misreported. "In the whole sorry saga, William was often painted as the tough guy urging his father to put his foot down," the outlet explained. "This image of ruthless William was, I'm told, wide of the mark."

Instead, the report suggested, "William was deeply concerned for his uncle's mental health and how Andrew would cope after everything was taken away." Ultimately, however, he reportedly supported King Charles's decision to demote Andrew.