Prince William reportedly reached out to ex-Prince Andrew to offer condolences after his titles were stripped

Prince William was reportedly "one of the few people" who reached out to Andrew.

Prince Andrew, Duke of York and Prince William, Prince of Wales attend Katharine, Duchess of Kent's Requiem Mass service at Westminster Cathedral on September 16, 2025. Credit: Getty Images

The Gist

• A new biography of the late Queen Elizabeth claims that Prince William called Ex-Prince Andrew to offer condolences after his uncle was stripped of his royal titles.
• King Charles stripped Andrew of his titles in October 2025 amid increased scrutiny of his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
• The former Duke of York was reportedly "very touched" that William was "one of the few people" who reached out to him.

Following his arrest in February, Ex-Prince Andrew has had limited contact with members of the royal family. A new biography of the late Queen Elizabeth, Elizabeth II: In Private. In Public. The Inside Story, however, reports that Prince William called his uncle to offer his condolences after Andrew was stripped of his royal titles. The book, written by author Robert Hammond, claims that the former Duke of York was "very touched" as William was "one of the few people" who reached out to him.

King Charles stripped his brother of his royal titles in October 2025 amid increased public scrutiny over Andrew's ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The increased scrutiny came following the release of Virginia Giuffre's posthumous memoir, Nobody's Girl, which details her life leading up to her stay with Jeffrey Epstein and his co-conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell, including three alleged sexual encounters with Andrew.

Prince Andrew, Duke of York and King Charles III attend Katharine, Duchess of Kent's Requiem Mass service at Westminster Cathedral on September 16, 2025 in London. Credit: Getty Images

On February 19, Andrew was arrested and detained for 11 hours under suspicion of misconduct in public office. More specifically, allegations claim that the former Duke of York shared inappropriate information with Epstein during his time as the U.K.'s Special Representative for International Trade and Investment from 2001 to 2011. Andrew has since been released and is currently under investigation.

Reports of William's friendly gesture comes unexpectedly as rumored tensions between the royal and his uncle have increased following the arrest. "William’s view was that [Andrew] got himself into the whole mess, so he should be left to his own devices to sort it out away from the family," royal biographer Andrew Lownie told People. In a March cover story with the publication Lownie added, "William wants it all cleaned out before he gets [on the throne]."

Catherine, Princess of Wales and Prince William, Prince of Wales welcome French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron to Windsor Castle on July 8, 2025. Credit: Getty Images

According to journalist Richard Kay, the rumored animosity between William and his uncle also stems from Andrew's past treatment of Kate Middleton. "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," Kay told The Daily Mail in June 2024.

Ex-Prince Andrew, Duke of York attends Katharine, Duchess of Kent's Requiem Mass service at Westminster Cathedral on September 16, 2025 in London. Credit: Getty Images

While their personal history is strained, Andrew's recent arrest and ties to Epstein appear to be the driving factor behind William's decision to distance himself and the royal family from his uncle. "Once you understand the fact that everything that happens in the here and now, affects everything in the future, William’s future, it is very easy to put yourself in his shoes," a source said of the Prince of Wales, who is set to ascend the throne following King Charles's reign, in William and Catherine: The Monarchy's New Era: The Inside Story by Russell Myers. "He never much liked his uncle and wanted him out of the picture immediately before the rot further set in."