William pushes for stricter stance as tensions rise within royal family
King Charles has reportedly reached a breaking point with his brother, Prince Andrew, after years of hesitation over how to handle his scandals. Despite long-standing pressure, the monarch had been reluctant to cut Andrew off completely. Now, following advice from the Prince of Wales, Charles appears ready to take a firmer stance.
According to royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams, the king’s empathy for his brother often slowed tough decisions. “The king does have empathy as Andrew is his brother, but William sees the couple as a threat to the monarchy,” Fitzwilliams told Fox News Digital. William has been pushing for both Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson to be sidelined, seeing their presence as damaging to the institution.
Until recently, Charles had allowed Andrew to attend private family gatherings, even though he was barred from official duties after losing his titles and patronages in 2019 over his ties to convicted financier Jeffrey Epstein. He also extended kindness to Ferguson, welcoming her at Christmas during her health struggles, partly to ease his brother’s situation. But experts say that leniency has now run out.
A source told The Times that Charles wants Andrew and Ferguson to remain “invisible” at this year’s Christmas events. While he is unlikely to ban Andrew outright from family occasions such as funerals or church services, he is determined to keep them out of the spotlight. “The King is not of the mind to banish someone worshipping at church or attending family occasions like a funeral,” the source explained. “But he would hope they would find a more discreet way of attending these events. In the Duke of York’s case, he seems to relish the prospect of not being low-key about it.”
The move signals that Charles no longer feels bound to shield his brother, and with William urging him on, Andrew’s presence in royal life is set to diminish even further.
