Prince William praised for diplomatic response to Andrew question

William, Prince of Wales, has been applauded for subtly tackling a press question put to him about his uncle, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor.

The royal, formerly known as Prince Andrew, Duke of York, ceased using his titles and military honours attributed to him last month.

A mere matter of weeks later, the 65-year-old’s elder brother, King Charles III, formally revoked his entitlement to use them, with Buckingham Palace informing Andrew he would need to leave his and ex-wife Sarah Ferguson’s home at the Royal Lodge.

The decision was made due to ongoing controversy surrounding his friendship with disgraced American financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, whom he emailed about hoping to ‘catch up with’ after his subsequent release from jail in 2009.

Andrew, former Prince and Duke of Wales, lost his royal titles last month (Steve Parsons - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Virginia Giuffre also publicly accused Andrew of sexually abusing her on three separate occasions while she was a minor, having first been trafficked by Epstein.

The father-of-two denied the allegations, but reached an out-of-court settlement with the late Giuffre in 2022.

William, who is currently in Brazil celebrating the fifth outing of the Earthshot Prize, was questioned by journalist Christiane Amanpour about his uncle.

She referenced a comment the 43-year-old made on Apple TV, where he told Eugene Levy he would use his eventual time as King to pursue ‘change for good’.

There’s ‘been a lot of change in your own family recently’, Amanpour said, asking William to elaborate on what he mentioned.

The heir to the British throne remained cool, calm, and collected, refusing to be drawn into a situation discussing Andrew.

Instead, he directed attention back to the ‘brilliant people in the room’ for the Earthshot Prize.

Prince William is currently in Brazil, celebrating the annual Earthshot Prize (Aaron Chown-Pool/Getty Images)

“I think the Earthshot Prize is a classic example of change. These people in here are the true action heroes of our time,” he stated.

“Change will come by backing them, not by what I do.”

The father-of-three added he only wanted to surround himself with people ‘who want to make change and do good in the world’.

William’s subtle deflection has been praised by fans, with one taking to X to write: “Well duh, it is about Earthshot not his family, this is what a true royal looks like & what they stand for.”

A second remarked: “Well done, Prince William.”

Someone else commented: “For his princely aura: Prince William, you wear dignity like a second skin, making every word you utter feel like a royal decree for a better world.”

The heir to the British throne was praised for deflecting the journalist's question about his uncle (Steve Parsons-WPA Pool/Getty Images)

No exact timeline has been given for when Andrew and Ferguson, whom he divorced in 1996, will have to leave their 30-room, Grade II residence in Windsor Great Park.

The BBC reported that the event could perhaps take place sometime in 2026.

It’s understood Andrew will eventually move into a home on the Sandringham Estate, while Ferguson will be making her own accommodation plans.

Meanwhile, the former couple’s children, Princess Beatrice, 37, and Princess Eugenie, 35, will keep their royal titles.