Prince William expertly swerved a question about his disgraced uncle, Andrew Windsor-Mountbatten.
During an interview on stage at his environmental award, The Earthshot Prize, William was asked by CNN’s Christiane Amanpour about the recent “change in [his] own family,” an apparent reference to King Charles’ decision to strip Andrew’s “prince” title last week.
“I think the Earthshot Prize is a classic example of change,” William said, a sharp pivot from the topic of his accused sex offender uncle. “Rather than talk about it, we’re doing it. That’s where I want it to be.”
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“These people in here are the true action heroes of all time, and change will come by backing them, not by what I do,” William said at the awards final in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
William, 43, has not spoken publicly about his uncle or the accusation that Andrew, who had close ties to Jeffrey Epstein, sexually abused one of Epstein’s most prominent accusers, Virginia Giuffre.
However, it is widely speculated that William has long held resentment towards his uncle over comments Andrew allegedly made about Kate Middleton.
According to an Andrew biography released earlier this year, The Rise and Fall of the Yorks, a source claimed that a “rude” comment made by Andrew toward William’s wife burned a bridge with the future King and Queen.
“He believes his father has not dealt with him with sufficient firmness and that Andrew — and Sarah Ferguson — have done much to undermine the good work of other members of the Royal Family,” the book read.
After it was announced that King Charles took steps to demote his younger brother from his prince title, sources claimed that it was William who was the “real architect” of the move against Andrew. “William made it clear this couldn’t drag on any longer,” a palace insider shared. “He told his father that if Andrew didn’t go quietly, the family’s image would never recover.”
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