Prince William has reportedly held a longstanding grudge against Prince Andrew – and it’s to do with princess Catherine
Royal commentator Richard Kay previously claimed that this ill-treatment of the Princess could play a significant role in Andrew’s possible eviction from the Royal Lodge.
Following a notorious interview with BBC Newsnight in 2020 where Prince Andrew was quizzed over his links to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, he stepped back from the public eye. In early 2022, Buckingham Palace declared that the Duke had relinquished his military titles and Royal patronages to the Queen. An FBI investigation into the links between the Duke of York and financier has since been dropped.
Some speculate that William was instrumental in displacing Andrew from his Buckingham Palace office and is resolved to exclude him from Royal events.
There’s been claims that William might urge his father, King Charles, to oust Andrew from the Royal Lodge entirely. Discussing the matter with Mail Online, Royal reporter Richard Kay suggested that William has “long held a grudge” against the Duke and believes that the King has treated Andrew too leniently, reports the Mirror.
The author wrote: “Differences between monarch and heir do remain, especially when it comes to the Prince Andrew scandal. William has long held a grudge against Andrew for being unwelcoming when he first introduced the then Kate Middleton to the Royal Family and feels that his father has been too soft on him.
“It has led to speculation that it is William who is pushing his father to evict the Duke of York from Royal Lodge, so the Waleses could move in.”
Royal writer and commentator Tom Quinn told The Mirror: “For King Charles, forcing Andrew to move to Frogmore solves several problems at once – it sends a message to Harry that, as a private citizen and no longer a working royal, he will never be allowed back to Frogmore. It sends [a] message to Andrew that having disgraced himself, he can no longer expect to live in the grand style.
“And, finally, it means that a suitably grand residence can be made ready for the royals who really matter – William and Kate. Charles is determined that Royal Lodge is the only residence on the royal estate at Windsor that is big enough and regal enough for his heir.”
The choice of whether William and Kate will make the Royal Lodge their new home remains undecided, but a source close to the couple suggest the significant change it would bring to their lifestyle, saying: “Taking on Royal Lodge would mean a transformation in the way they lead their lives”.
The source added: “One of the main reasons why the couple are so content at Adelaide Cottage, their current home in Windsor Great Park, is because it is a family house and there are no live-in staff.
“Moving into the vast Royal Lodge would mean having to accommodate domestic staff, something they have long resisted.”