Prince William was deeply concerned about his uncle Prince Andrew’s mental health as King Charles made the difficult decision to strip Andrew of his royal titles, according to journalist Emily Maitlis.
The Canadian-born British broadcaster revealed on The News Agents podcast that, contrary to widespread reports, the Prince of Wales was not the driving force behind his uncle’s removal from royal duties.
“To be honest, I think many in the media have misunderstood this,” Maitlis explained. “Prince William was not actually the one pushing for what happened. In fact, I was told he was most concerned about the state of his uncle’s mental health — something he takes very seriously.”
Maitlis added that both Prince William and Princess Kate have long been dedicated to raising awareness and supporting causes related to mental health, making the issue particularly close to their hearts.
Buckingham Palace confirmed on Thursday that King Charles had officially stripped his younger brother of his title of “Prince” and required him to leave his Windsor residence. The move is widely seen as part of the King’s efforts to further distance the royal family from Andrew’s association with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Prince Andrew, 65, the second son of the late Queen Elizabeth II, has faced years of scrutiny and public backlash over his links to Epstein. In October, he was forced to stop using his Duke of York title, marking another step in his fall from royal grace.
