It’s the bombshell royal biography that’s painted a devastating portrait of Prince Andrew’s life, including sensational details of his love affairs, controversial friendships, shady financial deals, torrid treatment of his staff and his unconventional relationship with Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York.
Now, as droves of Prince Andrew‘s formerly loyal associates come forward promising ever more shocking stories, historian Andrew Lownie, who penned the biography of the disgraced Duke of York, Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, sits down with Woman’s Day to reveal more shocking insights – and exactly how the heir to the throne Prince William, 43, plans to deal with his disgraced uncle!
The historian, who spent four years working on Entitled and interviewed hundreds of people for his research, believes the first thing Prince William will do when he ascends the throne is rid the monarchy of Prince Andrew, 65, and, shockingly, his brother Prince Harry, 40!
“William will do it alone [get rid of Prince Andrew] and probably get rid of Harry as well,” Andrew tells Woman’s Day of speculation that Prince William could even go to Parliament to change legislation and rid Andrew of his dukedom.
“Andrew knows he will receive no favours once William is king. His ambitions are now centred on his daughters becoming working royals.”
In fact, Andrew says Prince William and Prince Andrew barely speak, with the feud extending to William trying to evict Andrew from his home in Great Windsor Park. Kate and William dislike him so much, says Andrew, that they purposefully avoid any interactions with him and certainly keep their three children away from him too. “They don’t like him personally and can see the danger he poses to the institution that William will inherit.”
After being estranged for years, Prince William and Prince Andrew’s feud heated up again when Prince Andrew made a series of “rude and unkind” comments about the future king’s wife, Catherine Middleton. According to Andrew, the bitter royal is said to have been jealous of Kate’s increasing popularity and status within the royal family after his mother, Queen Elizabeth II died.
“It surprised me, but people do get jealous. It is because she is the polar opposite of him – public-spirited, charming, hard-working, popular with the common touch. I’d have thought Prince Andrew would respect William as future king though, rather than be nasty about his wife.”
As to why his brother King Charles, 76, keeps him around, Andrew says: “Charles is a kind man and was fond of Andrew as a child but he has no illusions about him and can see the reputational damage to the monarchy that he is causing.
“He is also a sick man with more important priorities and doesn’t want family tensions. He has realised he cannot evict Andrew from Royal Lodge (while he honours the tenancy) but has cut his financial support. All he can do now is keep his brother out of public sight.”
Andrew adds: “Charles may be operating on the basis that it is best to keep Andrew and Fergie inside the tent rather than risk them causing trouble. Both have threatened to write books. [Fergie] has often hinted she – or associates – might spill the beans.”
Two of the biggest losers from the fallout of the book are no doubt Prince Andrew’s daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, with the pair seen as “collateral damage” in the story of their parents’ sordid activities – Andrew thinks it is unlikely Beatrice and Eugenie will ever be seen with their father in public again.
“They love their father but are embarrassed and upset by the disclosures about both parents. They appear to be distancing themselves in public from him but remain close to their mother – she describes the relationship as a tripod – but it is revealing that when Andrew & Fergie remained at Royal Lodge last Christmas that Beatrice choose to continue to go to Sandringham.
“I doubt we will see the three in public together again. The interesting question is how they will respond to the allegations against their mother, which are equally damning.”
Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York by Andrew Lownie (Harper Collins, ebook $19.99).
