need to know
- A report puts Prince William at the center of alleged pressure on Prince Andrew to move out of the royal villa, amid speculation he may have urged Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie to intervene
- It is known that no meeting took place between William and his cousins, and that he had no power to strip them of their royal titles – removing them would require an Act of Parliament
- King Charles' younger brother gave up the use of his royal titles and honors earlier this month, a shocking move amid renewed interest in his ties to Jeffrey Epstein
A new report puts Prince William at the center of alleged pressures faced by Prince Andrew as he moves out of Royal Lodge, where he has lived with ex-wife Sarah Ferguson since 2008, while his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein comes under renewed scrutiny.
Journalist Emily Maitlis discussed the speculation on her podcast on October 27 news agent William may have urged his cousins Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie to encourage their father to move out of the royal villa, allegedly warning them that their titles could come under scrutiny. She said the BBC had been informed of what might have happened at the Royal Hotel on Thursday night, prompting reporters – including a BBC helicopter – to travel to the scene.
“There have been questions about whether Prince William met with Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie earlier in the day and said, 'You have to move your father out of the royal villa or we will start to re-examine your own title status,'” she said.
“Currently, they're allowed to be princesses, but we understand there's a little pressure on princesses to say, 'You know, this is going to happen.' “Obviously, you can see why Andrew, as a father, wants to keep his daughters happy and keep their titles, no matter what happens,” she continued.
As far as PEOPLE is aware, no such meeting took place between William and his cousin.
While Prince William, 43, holds significant influence as heir to the throne, he does not have the power to strip his cousin of his royal title. Removing Beatrice and Eugenie's titles required an Act of Parliament.
Maitlis also added that some reports suggested King Charles was expected to arrive at the Royal Villa, a move that would underline the monarch's control over the situation. By the time helicopters and cameras arrived at the scene, the palace decided the timing was too significant and canceled the plans, according to Maitlis.
“So what we understand is that what's going to happen on Thursday is [Charles]Fresh from an audience with the Vatican and the Pope, he was coming through the Royal Villa, in other words reading the Riot Act to his brother. Obviously, no one will film this conversation, no one will see him get out of the car, but the cameras will capture the moment King Charles' car approaches or drives towards the royal villa,” she said.
“As I understand it, what happened was the palace got really nervous, and when they saw the choppers and helicopters, they thought, 'This is all too big and out of control.'” They canceled the whole thing. The king went straight home and never went there,” Maitlis claimed.
Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew; Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park.
Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images; Shutterstock
Maitlis is the reporter who interviewed 65-year-old Prince Andrew for the BBC news night He began to withdraw from public life in November 2019 when he gave interviews about his involvement in the abuse allegations by Epstein and Virginia Roberts Giuffre.
According to reports, Prince Andrew will leave his long-time royal residence after announcing on October 17 that he will no longer use the title or honor of Duke of York. The update comes amid renewed interest in Andrew's alleged ties to the late, disgraced Jeffrey Epstein. Jeffrey Epstein was a convicted sex offender who died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial.
Prince Andrew and Prince William attend the funeral of the Duchess of Kent on September 16, 2025.
Max Munby/Indigo/Getty
It is understood that Beatrice and Eugenie's titles and status are completely unaffected as their father gave up his royal titles, which will not prevent them from attending future family events.
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However, a recent report sunday times Claims Prince William will take a tougher stance on keeping his disgraced uncle away from royal life after becoming king, including banning Andrew from public and private royal events, including his coronation.