The Prince of Wales had vowed to friends and family that he would never reconcile with his estranged little brother Prince Harry, but in the wake of his uncle Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s unprecedented arrest, William has realised he needs his brother’s help.
“There’s no doubt this is the biggest royal crisis since the death of Princess Diana in 1997,” royal biographer Phil Dampier tells Woman’s Day.
“It is doing untold damage and William desperately wants a clean slate when he becomes king, so he will be working with his father to try to clear up the mess, but at the moment, no one knows what’s coming next.”
Making matters worse, William’s beloved charity, the Earthshot Prize, has now been linked to the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. The former chairman, Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, has been accused of exchanging explicit emails and “torture videos” with the late paedophile.
Epstein fallout hits the monarchy
A palace insider reports, “William’s running out of allies fast, and now with his pride and joy Earthshot being investigated, he’s furious. Andrew should have been dealt with as far back as that awful BBC interview. Now, he and Kate are being dragged down by this Epstein horror show.
“He’s watching the entire monarchy unravel and he’s sick of being ignored. He was the one urging Charles not to get involved. Now it turns out it wasn’t just Charles, but the Queen [Elizabeth II] and Prince Philip who helped pay off Andrew’s settlement [with sex-trafficking victim Virginia Giuffre, see page 36]. “William’s afraid that his and Kate’s reign is going to be tarnished by all of this, but even worse is the fact there have never been calls this loud for the monarchy to be abolished.”
William weighs reconciliation with Harry
Last week, a new book by veteran royal reporter Russell Myers was released. It revealed the full extent of 43-year-old William’s disdain for his uncle.
“William’s considering all options, including a reconciliation with Harry,” writes respected journalist Russell.
“It could be the answer for reuniting the family and finally bringing good news to the palace. If there’s one thing he and Harry had in common, it was their mutual dislike of their uncle. Their mum told them to keep their distance from him and it was good advice.”
Brothers teaming up
“William is loath to contact his brother, but it could be the answer to his problems. He’s also convinced Harry would love nothing better than to team up with him against Andrew, especially if it means saving the monarchy.”
Certainly, in recent months, Harry, 41, has been looking to mend bridges with the royal family. He has also hinted that he wants to spend more time in the UK with his children. Helping the King and William through this crisis could be the perfect excuse.
Prince Andrew arrested on suspicion of misconduct
Andrew, who remains eighth in line to the throne, was arrested on his 66th birthday. The arrest was on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Eight plain-clothes officers were seen arriving at Wood Farm Cottage in Norfolk. The former prince had been staying there since his eviction from Royal Lodge.
The arrest was not related to his alleged rape of then-17-year-old Virginia. Instead, it concerned confidential information he had shared with Epstein while serving as a trade envoy for the British government. As we went to press, Andrew had been released from police custody after nearly 12 hours of questioning. The investigation, however, is still ongoing.
King Charles speaks out
His brother Charles, 77, issued a statement expressing his “deepest concern” about the allegations against Andrew and insisting “the law must take its course”. Just hours after the arrest, the monarch looked anxious and vulnerable as he officially opened London Fashion Week.
Meanwhile, Virginia’s family released a statement saying, “Today, our hearts have been lifted at the news that no one is above the law, not even royalty… He was never a prince. For survivors everywhere, Virginia did this for you.”
Veteran royal photographer Arthur Edwards says, “The late Queen was a strong woman and I only ever saw her cry once, but she would be in floods of tears knowing that her son had been taken to a police station and grilled like any other common criminal suspect.”
Andrew’s downfall
1999: Andrew first meets Jeffrey Epstein through uni mate Ghislaine Maxwell. A friendship forms, and Epstein and Maxwell stay at Balmoral.
2005: The first claims of sexual abuse are made against Epstein and an investigation begins. In 2008, he takes a plea deal, eventually serving 13 months of an 18-month sentence for soliciting a minor for prostitution.
2010: After Epstein’s release from prison, Andrew travels to New York to meet him. He later claims the trip was to end their friendship, however, they continue to swap emails.
2011: Virginia Giuffre shares her story, releasing a 2001 photo of her at 17 with Andrew. He maintains that the allegations are false. Despite this, he has stepped down from his UK government role as a special representative for international trade and investment.
2014: Virginia files a lawsuit alleging she was trafficked by Epstein and Maxwell, claiming she had been forced to have sex with Andrew on three occasions. He calls the allegations “categorically untrue”.
2019: Epstein is found dead in his jail cell while facing sex-trafficking charges. His death is ruled suicide. After his BBC interview airs, Andrew steps down from all royal duties.
2021: Virginia sues Andrew in a New York court, accusing him of sexual assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
2022: Before her death in September, Queen Elizabeth strips her son of all military titles and remaining royal patronages, although he retains his royal title. Andrews claims not to have met Virginia but settles the court case.
2025: Virginia dies by suicide in April. In October, the King strips his brother of his royal title and moves to evict Andrew from Royal Lodge following claims in Virginia’s posthumous memoir.
2026: The US Justice Department has released millions of documents related to its investigation of Epstein. These include photos and emails that raise questions about his work as a trade envoy, which ultimately led to Andrew’s arrest.
