Prince William is reportedly urging his father, King Charles III, to finally take firm action against the Duke and Duchess of York after fresh revelations reignited scrutiny of their ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
According to palace insiders, the Prince of Wales has reached the end of his patience with his uncle and aunt and wants them stripped of royal privileges, even evicted from their Windsor home, Royal Lodge.
The Email That Sparked Outrage
The latest controversy stems from a leaked 2011 email written by Sarah “Fergie” Ferguson to Epstein, calling him her “supreme friend” and appearing to apologise for criticising him publicly.
While Prince Andrew stepped down from royal duties in 2019 over his association with Epstein, the Duchess of York had largely escaped consequences until now. But after the email was published by The Mail and The Sun, she lost seven charity patronages in a matter of days—and insiders suggest more losses are imminent if William has influence over the matter.
William’s Hardline Stance
A palace source told The Mail: “William feels even more strongly than the King that Andrew and Fergie are an embarrassment and will be urging his father to act. The optics of that pair of chancers guffawing away [at events] look terrible.”
The insider suggested the King could immediately ban the Yorks from family gatherings, including Christmas, with eviction from Royal Lodge also under serious consideration.
The Prince of Wales reportedly views this as the minimum necessary, believing the couple should “fend for themselves.” One source explained: “He has his eye on the future of the Royal Family and for the good of the family they must never be seen at events again.”
King Charles Weighs Loyalty and Family Ties
Unlike his son, the 76-year-old King is described as more hesitant. He is said to be balancing the Yorks’ loyalty to the Crown against the criticism the monarchy has endured from other members of the family.
Charles is also believed to remain mindful of his late mother Queen Elizabeth II’s affection for Fergie, as well as the close ties with her daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.
Money, Image, and Royal Lodge
The scandal also casts fresh doubt on the Yorks’ financial situation. Their residence, the 30-room Royal Lodge estate in Windsor, has been their home for over 20 years despite Andrew and Fergie’s 1996 divorce. They have lived there rent-free, but with mounting charity losses and reputational damage, questions are now being raised about how they could continue to fund the property’s upkeep.
Just days before the email scandal broke, King Charles, Prince William, Andrew, and Fergie were all seen together at the funeral of Katherine, Duchess of Kent, at Westminster Cathedral—a reminder of how entangled the Yorks remain in royal life, even as pressure mounts for their removal.