Prince William is said to have held a ‘grudge’ against his uncle Prince Andrew for more than two decades
Prince William reportedly harbours a longstanding ‘grudge’ against Prince Andrew, dating back to the early days of his romance with Princess Kate.
The Duke of York was compelled to resign from Royal duties in 2020 after a calamitous BBC Newsnight interview, but his schism with the heir to the throne extends back to how Andrew reportedly made William’s bride-to-be feel when she joined the Royal Family.
In January 2022, Buckingham Palace announced that Andrew had relinquished his military affiliations and Royal patronages to the Queen. Since then, he has maintained a subdued presence, allegedly due to pressure from King Charles and Prince William.
William is believed to have been instrumental in the move to oust Andrew from his Buckingham Palace office and has been adamant that Andrew should be excluded from formal Royal occasions, reports the Mirror.
Rumours suggest that it’s William who is urging King Charles to force Andrew out of Royal Lodge. Daily Mail columnist Richard Kay reports: “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.”
King Charles is now apparently advocating for Andrew to leave the expansive Royal Lodge for the more modest Frogmore Cottage, previously occupied by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. This potential relocation is said to be causing tension between the brothers, with Andrew showing resistance to the idea of moving.
Royal expert Tom Quinn previously said: “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.
However, whether William and Kate would want to take on the property if Andrew vacates it remains uncertain.
A friend of the couple further revealed: “Taking on Royal Lodge would mean a transformation in the way they lead their lives.
“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.”
Speculations have been made about offering the house to the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh. In another light, an inside source revealed to The Sun: “It makes sense for Royal Lodge to be handed back to Crown Estates, which can pay for the much-needed repairs and renovations. It could then be rented to earn money for them, the King’s coffers and the country rather than being a drain on everyone’s resources.”
