Prince William and King Charles Reportedly Clash Over Prince Andrew

Insiders say that the king is more willing to invite Prince Andrew back into the fold than his heir.

By Michael Hein

King Charles III and his heir Prince William have reportedly been fighting about how to handle Prince Andrew, Duke of York. Prince Andrew stepped down from all of his royal patronages, stopped using royal styles and military titles, and lost his royal income after numerous allegations of sexual assault and sex trafficking-related crimes. Now, insiders tell The Mirror that the king wants to welcome his brother back into the fold, while Prince William wants to avoid public appearances more completely.

Sources said that the king wants the royal family to stop "shutting out" Prince Andrew on a personal level, and even suggested that Prince William should drive him to church last Sunday while they were visiting Balmoral Castle in Scotland. He was photographed with the king, Queen Camilla and Prince William, which led to some speculation about his status within the monarchy. The insiders said that this was a huge boost for Prince Andrew's efforts to rehabilitate his public image, adding: "It's more than he could have wished for."

This subtle reconciliation is also surprising coming from the king, who reportedly advised his mother Queen Elizabeth II to strip Prince Andrew of his titles and patronages in the first place. Prince Andrew no longer makes any public appearances or does any work on behalf of the royal family, though it took years of repeated allegations to reach this point. The changes were made in February of 2022 when Prince Andrew settled out of court with Virginia Giuffre, who claims that Prince Andrew assaulted her while she was being trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein at 17 years old. Prince Andrew still denies the allegations, though the payment was seen as a blow to his reputation.

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For Prince William, optics are reportedly still the issue. The Prince of Wales threatened to boycott the 2022 Garter Day parade at Windsor Castle if Prince Andrew was allowed to participate, but later attended a private family gathering with him on Christmas Day. Insiders say that Prince William is worried about the "backlash" of public appearances and photographs, but they said the king is becoming less sympathetic to these concerns.

Sources said that the king stands firm on the decision to exclude Prince Andrew from public-facing duties, but has softened on his attendance of more casual gatherings. They said: "The King feels he has an awful lot on his in-tray and this is one issue he wants to draw a line under."

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