A royal biographer explains why the heir was likely kept fully informed
Prince William’s cool interaction with Andrew at the Duchess of Kent’s funeral raised plenty of questions. Now biographer Andrew Lownie is offering a clearer picture of what the heir may have known about Andrew’s ties to Virginia Giuffre.
Lownie, often described as the former Duke’s unofficial biographer, shared his insight during a conversation with Wendy Naugle for USA Today’s Excerpt podcast. He said he is confident William had been kept fully briefed, adding that the position of heir meant he would have received detailed intelligence updates.
He went on to say he knows William was briefed by the intelligence services, drawing on his own research into the Duke of Windsor, where he found similar police and Special Branch reports in historical files. In his view, there is little doubt the family understood the seriousness of the situation.
Lownie also pointed to William’s behaviour at the funeral, where he appeared to avoid his uncle, as a clear sign of strained relations. He added that Andrew has been openly rude about William and Catherine in the past, and that William has not forgotten those comments.
