Breaking News: Buckingham Palace plunged into fresh Turmoil as Prince William Fuming over Andrew deal, plans to clean the…
Breaking News: Buckingham Palace plunged into fresh Turmoil as Prince William Fuming over Andrew deal, plans to clean the house when King
The fallout over Prince Andrew’s titles has plunged Buckingham Palace into fresh turmoil and Prince William is said to be “deeply unhappy” with what he sees as weak leadership and half measures from his father’s team, according to royal insider Tom Sykes.
Sykes reports that on his Substack today that William was furious when the palace allowed Andrew’s statement announcing he would “no longer use” his Duke of York title to be issued in Andrew’s name, rather than as a firm directive from the King.
“It should have come from the Crown, not from Andrew,” he says, adding that the prince was “appalled” by the defiant tone of the statement, which portrayed Andrew as the victim of a media witch hunt.
“It’s so tone deaf,” he writes. “He’s basically saying, I’ve done nothing wrong, but I’m making an enormous sacrifice. And yet it came from Buckingham Palace itself.”
The Friday night statement was delayed by an hour going out at 7 p.m. instead of 6 because of tense negotiations.
William and Kate, both reportedly pushing for a harder line, wanted a formal stripping of titles and a public distancing from Andrew once and for all.
But palace aides in what he describes as “a chaotic operation” refused, arguing that fully removing the titles would require parliamentary time, something they deemed unnecessary.
“I can’t think of a better use of parliamentary time than removing Prince Andrew’s titles,” Sykes quipped.
The journalist suggests this indecision is symptomatic of a wider power vacuum inside the palace, stemming from King Charles’s ill health.
“It’s very obvious to anyone watching that the King is really ill,” he claims.
“He’s not expected to live very long and that’s why the King’s office is in chaos. Power is already drifting toward William.”
Sykes who has been among the few commentators to openly discuss the seriousness of the King’s cancer argues that Charles’s decision to publicly announce his diagnosis “was a massive mistake,” claiming it weakened his authority and “fired the starting gun on the succession.”
Behind closed doors, William is said to be preparing for that moment. Sources close to the heir tell that when he becomes King, he plans to permanently strip all non working royals including Harry, Meghan, and their children Archie and Lilibet of their HRH titles.
“It will be painful for them,” Sykes notes, “but it’s the only way to stop this royal soap opera from collapsing under its own scandals.”
He adds that Beatrice and Eugenie’s quiet example living private lives without official royal roles has strengthened William’s resolve to act.
Sykes’s reporting paints a picture of a monarchy in quiet disarray, a sick King, a frustrated heir, and a palace stumbling through crisis after crisis.
“Charles should have dealt with it,” he writes bluntly. “He’s too weak because of the illness. William’s not happy.”
