Topics: Prince William, Prince Andrew, Kate Middleton, Royal Family, UK News
A royal expert has alleged why there's a 'rift' between Prince William and his uncle, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor.
For those who need a reminder, the younger brother of King Charles III has been stripped of all of his titles and honours, including the right to be called 'prince' amid the continuing fallout of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.
His friendship with convicted paedophile Epstein has been brought back into the spotlight after the late Virginia Giuffre's posthumous memoir alleges that he sexually abused her as a minor, after she was trafficked by the disgraced financier, who died behind bars in 2019.
Giuffre, who died by suicide in April, had previously alleged that she was forced to have sex with Andrew on three separate occasions, accusations which he has continuously denied.
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The former Duke of York became simply known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor with immediate effect from October 30, 2025, following a statement from Buckingham Palace.
As the scandal continues to unfold, US Weekly has reported that the King allegedly received full support from the royal family - including his son and future King, Prince William.
Rumours have been swirling that the two have a tense relationship, especially after that awkward moment at the Duchess of Kent's funeral which saw William seemingly trying to avoid his uncle.
And as per royal experts, Kate Middleton is actually at the centre of the alleged rift.
Marie Claire reports that Christopher Andersen, royal author of The King: The Life of Charles III, wrote that Andrew 'was never welcoming towards Kate' when she joined the royal family.
Anderson penned: "Andrew has never been a great judge of character, so it’s not surprising that he would resent someone as stellar as Kate eclipsing him and pretty much everyone else in the monarchy."
And as we say, he's not the only one to make this claim.
More recently, fellow royal expert Hilary Fordwich echoed these accusations during an interview with Fox News Digital, alleging that Andrew and William's feud started 'primarily' because of his former issues with, and treatment of Kate, something that William was reportedly not standing for.
Fordwich said: "The feud between Prince William and Prince Andrew started primarily due to Andrew’s jealousy and resulting disparaging remarks regarding Kate Middleton."
She added: "Being fiercely protective, he instituted a zero-tolerance policy toward any wayward behaviour or scandals involving Prince Andrew."
He said that the Prince of Wales was 'infuriated' by some of Andrew’s comments about Kate.
The royal expert continued: "All the more daunting for Andrew was his displacement as his mother’s ‘golden boy’ since he was viewed as Queen Elizabeth II’s favourite.
"His resentment grew with his plummeting popularity and was then further exacerbated by Kate’s prominence and poise."
Royal expert Ian Pelham Turner agreed, also telling Fox News Digital: "The reality is that all senior members of the royal family hate being overshadowed by new, young upstarts, in their eyes.
"Andrew has always wanted more adulation for his two daughters. When Kate came along in the arms of William and was protected by the other royals, it was like a red flag to a bull."
Tyla has contacted a representative for Buckingham Palace and Prince Andrew for comment.
