Prince Andrew stepped down from royal duties after his 2019 Newsnight interview

As the scandal surrounding Prince Andrew intensifies, new claims have shed light on how the late Queen Elizabeth II struggled with the turmoil.

On Friday (October 17), Prince Andrew, 65, announced he would no longer use his royal title, Duke of York.

The decision came amid fresh scrutiny regarding his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. It also came as Andrew once again hit headlines due to Virginia Giuffre’s posthumous memoir.

Ms Giuffre accused the prince of sexual assault, allegations he has repeatedly denied. She detailed three alleged meetings with Andrew in her book, which she wrote before her death in April.

Queen Elizabeth II reportedly “couldn’t bring herself” to strip Prince Andrew’s royal titles after he was accused of sexual assault (Credit: SplashNews.com)

Queen Elizabeth II ‘couldn’t bring herself’ to strip Prince Andrew’s royal titles

However, the announcement regarding Andrew’s title has done little to satisfy critics.

As reported by The Times, sources within royal circles believe this situation could have been handled far earlier.

According to one former royal courtier, Queen Elizabeth II had an opportunity to “nip this in the bud” years ago.

The insider claimed that the late queen “couldn’t bring herself” to strip Andrew of his titles after his infamous BBC Newsnight interview, which saw him address his friendship with Epstein. He also denied the sexual assault allegations against him in the interview.

“It’s very hard for a mother to humiliate her son. Far easier for a brother to do it,” the source said. “That story is as old as the Bible.”

After the Newsnight interview, which was branded a “car crash” in the media, Andrew stepped back from royal duties. He retained many of his titles and his home at Royal Lodge.

However, in January 2022, the queen did strip Andrew of his military titles and royal patronages as he faced a US civil lawsuit. In 2021, Ms Giuffre sued the prince, accusing him of sexual assault. They reached an out-of-court settlement in February 2022 for an undisclosed sum.

Prince Andrew repeated that the settlement did not mean any liability or admission of guilt.

Prince Andrew stepped down from royal duties after the infamous 2019 Newsnight interview. However, he retained most of his royal titles (Credit: Cover Images)

Prince William could be ‘more ruthless’ with Andrew

Now, under King Charles’ reign, the tone has shifted. Reports indicate that the king spoke directly with Andrew before the recent announcement about his title.

But behind the scenes, it is Prince William who is said to be pushing for a much tougher stance. Sources told The Times that William was consulted on the decision over Andrew’s title. However, he was reportedly “not satisfied with the outcome”.

It’s very hard for a mother to humiliate her son.

One insider described the Prince of Wales as “more ruthless” than his father when it comes to dealing with the “Andrew problem”.

There are now suggestions that William, when he becomes king, will take even firmer action. He is reportedly planning to exclude Andrew from all royal functions, including his future coronation.

Royal Insider has contacted Buckingham Palace for comment.