How Prince William Influenced Uncle Andrew's Royal Demotion

Prince Andrew laughs with King Charles, as Prince William looks awkward

(Image credit: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

published 18 October 2025

On October 17, it was announced that Prince Andrew and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, would give up their official royal titles, including the Duke and Duchess of York. The decision followed years of public pushback regarding Andrew's association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Now, royal experts are weighing in on the influence Prince William likely had on his disgraced uncle's "demotion."

Speaking to GB News, royal expert Duncan Larcombe said of Andrew, "This is a prince who is so arrogant and so full of his own self-importance that he thought he could just carry on." Larcombe continued, "He denies all the allegations, of course, but it will not go away."

The royal expert explained, "I think William saw his uncle as nothing more than a real pariah, frankly." While Queen Elizabeth and King Charles may have gone easy on Prince Andrew in the past, the Prince of Wales reportedly took a firmer stance.

"William is no fool," Larcombe noted. "He's got his destiny to fulfill and he read the room...I think [it] shows exactly how much influence William now has inside King Charles's court."

Prince William and Prince Andrew at the Order of the Garter — "[It] shows exactly how much influence William now has inside King Charles's court."

Royal historian Andrew Lownie also analyzed Prince Andrew's decision to retreat from royal life, telling the BBC (via the Daily Mail), "It's coming from William and the government, I understand, who felt that this was a distraction from the wider work of the Royal Family."

Lownie further elaborated, "I think there's much more still to come out. And I think that was what was worrying them, that they were best to distance [themselves]...before these new allegations arose."

Prince Andrew and Prince William both wear black suits to attend a funeral — "William saw his uncle as nothing more than a real pariah, frankly."

Andrew Lownie

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In his statement announcing the change, Prince Andrew previously explained, "In discussion with The King, and my immediate and wider family, we have concluded the continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family." If royal experts are to be believed, Prince William might be, at least in part, responsible for the announcement.

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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.