Prince William is signaling that he intends to reshape the monarchy's future by sidelining two of its most controversial branches: his uncle Prince Andrew and his younger brother Prince Harry. New allegations tied to Andrew's association with Jeffrey Epstein and growing tensions with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have accelerated conversations inside the royal household about a slimmed-down monarchy.
Historian Andrew Lownie's new book Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York has reignited scrutiny of the Duke of York, portraying him as "a sex addict" and "money-hungry buffoon" in denial about his ties to Epstein. The book claims Andrew entertained more than 40 women in a Thai hotel, that Epstein left envelopes of cash for women in a New York residence used by Andrew, and that Epstein paid nearly $2 million in debts owed by Andrew's ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson.
A royal insider told RadarOnline.com the book was "probably the nail in the coffin" for Andrew's future role. "Andrew has been the black sheep of the family for so long and they simply don't want him around anymore," the source said. British broadcaster Helena Chard added that William views his uncle as "a complete liability" and believes he "will not be part of the streamlined monarchy."
Andrew was stripped of military affiliations and patronages by Queen Elizabeth II after Virginia Giuffre accused him of sexual assault when she was 17. Andrew denied the allegations but settled her civil lawsuit in 2022 for a reported $16 million. Courtiers now suggest William is in discussions with Parliament about removing Andrew's dukedom and princely status entirely.
At the same time, William is confronting a strained relationship with Prince Harry. According to Heat World, family discussions at Balmoral centered on the prince's vision for a "smaller, tighter unit" that excludes Harry, Meghan Markle, and their children. A source said, "William feels the monarchy has to move forward...phasing out Harry and Meghan completely and stripping away their last traces of royal privilege, including their HRH titles."
Kate Middleton, however, is said to be cautious about the plan. "Kate adores her husband and supports his vision, but she's torn," the insider told the outlet. "She's always been the peacemaker and doesn't want William's decisions to burn bridges with Harry forever. She worries William might regret going too far." The source added that Middleton remains "deeply emotional" about how Harry would react, noting, "No matter how fractured things have become, he's still William's brother."
Royal expert Richard Palmer argued in The i Paper that William's push for fewer working royals is aimed at cutting costs and limiting reliance on taxpayer funding. He noted the couple employ 68 staffers, roughly half the number once retained by Charles when he was Prince of Wales.
An associate of William told the Daily Beast that the heir apparent has no intention of elevating Harry's children into royal roles. "The idea that somehow having a vestigial HRH as a baby later entitles you to be a working royal is beyond parody," the source said.
