By Molly Claire Goddard
2:16pm PST, Feb 24, 2026
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According to a source,
Prince William wasn't a fan of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor before the former Duke of York was banished from The Firm and arrested. "Everyone knows William's feelings about his uncle. He's never had a close relationship with him," the insider told
HELLO!.
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After the U.S. Department of Justice released more emails between Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and
Jeffrey Epstein;
Prince William and
Kate Middleton issued a public statement. "I can confirm the Prince and Princess have been deeply concerned by the continuing revelations. Their thoughts remain focused on the victims," their representatives said in a statement via
People.
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According to former royal butler
Grant Harrold,
Prince William hasn't wanted to be around Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor for some time. "The fact he's come out publicly says a lot. I think they know the seriousness of this. The late
Queen[Elizabeth II] 's famous motto was of course 'never complain, never explain' — but William is very different. He wants to face these things full-on. He doesn't want to mess around or just put his head in the sand," he told
Daily Express.
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Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office for allegedly giving information to Jeffrey Epstein. "Following a thorough assessment, we have now opened an investigation into this allegation of misconduct in public office," Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright confirmed in a statement. "It is important that we protect the integrity and objectivity of our investigation as we work with our partners to investigate this alleged offence. We understand the significant public interest in this case and we will provide updates at the appropriate time."
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Before Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was taken into custody,
Prince William led the charge for his uncle to lose his title and supported the investigation. "Friends of William have told me that he would have 'no hesitation' in letting it be known that Andrew should face a 'probe' police investigation if he were king, and that he genuinely believes the monarchy cannot remain popular and respected if it does not at least give the appearance of respecting the principle that no man is above the law,"
Tom Sykes wrote for
The Royalist Substack.