Royal author Andrew Lownie has described Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s attempt to speak privately with Prince William at the Duchess of Kent’s funeral as a “pivotal moment” in the former Duke of York’s continuing fall from favour.
Writing in his bestselling book Entitled: The Rise And Fall Of The House Of York, Mr Lownie said Andrew’s apparent urgency to secure a private conversation with his nephew “vividly” demonstrated the “absolute disdain” William felt towards him. He made the comments to Our News Outlet.
The awkward scene unfolded outside Westminster Cathedral on September 16, after the Requiem Mass. As relatives gathered on the steps, the former prince appeared isolated from the family while standing beside his former wife, Sarah Ferguson, with a broad smile on his face.
Andrew’s upbeat demeanour reportedly unsettled William, who is said to have cautioned his uncle that laughing during such a solemn event was “not a good look”. The Prince of Wales then appeared to bring the conversation to an end.
Video of the exchange showed William looking visibly uncomfortable, offering a rare public glimpse of his attitude towards Andrew. The former royal has remained under intense scrutiny over his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Mr Lownie said the funeral exposed what he considered Andrew’s sense of entitlement, adding that the events that followed marked the beginning of a rapid escalation in the former royal’s troubles.
“The pictures of the former Prince Andrew at the Duchess of Kent’s funeral were a pivotal moment in his fall from grace,” he said.
“Later that month, the King announced that Andrew would lose his title and be removed from Royal Lodge.”
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s attempt to speak with Prince William at the Duchess of Kent’s funeral was described by Andrew Lownie as a defining moment in his fall from grace.
Andrew Lownie told Our News Outlet that the former Duke of York’s efforts to get his nephew alone highlighted the “absolute disdain” with which he was regarded by the Prince of Wales.
Lip reader Nicola Hickling later examined footage of the tense encounter and said Andrew appeared to use the opportunity to ask his nephew for forgiveness.
Mr Lownie said Andrew’s determination to have William speak with him privately “vividly” underscored the “absolute disdain” the Prince of Wales held for his uncle. He was speaking to Our News Outlet.
Andrew apparently asks William, who was joined by his wife Kate: ‘I’ve learnt from what I’ve done but before I forget, and if I can, I’d like to ask you if you can forgive?’
It came amid continued controversy over his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, which led to his titles being stripped the following month and him being kicked out of his home at Royal Lodge.
In February, Andrew was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office, over claims he passed sensitive information to the paedophile while serving as UK trade envoy from 2001 to 2011.
The former prince’s apparently desperate plea came after he greeted the Prince and Princess of Wales at the funeral, saying: ‘Good afternoon, William and Catherine, how are you?’
Kate replies, ‘Good, thank you’, with lip reader Ms Hickling explaining: ‘At this point, William looks a little bit uneasy, before saying to Andrew, “What can I do for you?”‘
Andrew then allegedly said, ‘We’re really closed in together,’ before William gives what Ms Hickling called a ‘simple response’, of just, ‘Yes’.
Mr Lownie noted that Andrew and William’s tense exchange was merely the beginning of his problems, with the former prince arrested and questioned just months later.
‘Phil Noble’s snap of Andrew slumped in the back of a car looking obviously shocked after his day of questioning brought home to the public that the Queen’s second son might actually be held to account for his actions,’ he said.
‘It was also the first time that perhaps Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor realised the seriousness of his situation.’
Footage of the frosty exchange showed William looking deeply uncomfortable – and revealed publicly for the first time the Prince’s true feelings towards Andrew
Yet while Andrew may initially have grasped the severity of the predicament he found himself in, Mr Lownie noted that it didn’t take long for the former prince to ‘resort to character blaming everyone but himself for his predicament’.
And the royal author fears that things are only about to get far worse for the disgraced royal.
‘That may be about to change with fresh documentation likely to be released in the coming months from a libel case settled by Ghislaine Maxwell and the release of more Epstein files,’ he said.
‘The first anniversary of the Duchess of Kent’s funeral may mark another crucial stage in the fall of the most popular prince.’
The year that followed was one tied to great scandal and tragedy for the former prince.
Andrew has been continually engulfed by the scandal surrounding his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, while his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson has suffered her own fall from grace.
Indeed, Mr Lownie previously noted that King Charles struggled to ‘bite the bullet’ with his brother, which left William ‘annoyed and frustrated’, ultimately leading him to reportedly drive the movement to have the disgraced prince exiled.
He told The i: ‘Charles is sentimental, he’s very compassionate, he’s a bit of a ditherer,’ Lownie explained.
‘William can’t speak out, because he’s number two and he won’t cross his father, but he’ll have had a big influence.’
And when Princess Anne offered for Andrew to come and live with her once he was ousted from the Royal Lodge, William is said to have dubbed the possibility ‘madness’.
He added that William is demonstrating his toughness now to ensure a ‘clean stable’ when his reign comes – a reality much more possible, Lownie believes, with Kate by his side.
William’s cutthroat tendency was further revealed when Prince William recently declared his commitment to the Church of England and spoke of his ‘quiet faith’, which may have been something of a sting for the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby.
And according to royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams, Welby isn’t the only one to feel the chill after displeasing the heir to the throne.
Speaking to Our News Outlet, he said: ‘William is our future king. Thank goodness he has a ruthless streak, as this is needed in today’s world, especially with the monarchy among its most closely watched institutions.
‘He is clearly an excellent judge of character and has deservedly won praise for his diplomatic skills.’
