Prince William's Quiet 'Grudge': Future King's Old Spat With Prince Andrew Over Kate Middleton Could Put Royal Lodge in His Favor
Prince William has reportedly held a "grudge" against his uncle, Prince Andrew, ever since the disgraced Duke "snobbily" chided then-Kate Middleton before her 2011 marriage to the future king.
Now, royal commentator Richard Kay suggests based on speculation that "it is William who is pushing his father to evict the Duke of York from Royal Lodge, so the Waleses could move in."
"Differences between monarch and heir do remain, especially when it comes to the Prince Andrew scandal," Kay added when discussing William's opposition to Andrew at royal events. "William has long held a grudge against Andrew for being unwelcoming when he first introduced the then Kate Middleton to the royal family and feels that his father has been too soft on him."
Allegedly, the Duke of York felt that Kate was not suitable to become a Queen consort of Britain since she was not of "at the very least" noble birth. The future queen is a "tried and true commoner" and hails from a middle-class background although her parents, Michael and Carole Middleton, are millionaires. One palace insider said, "William has despised him [Andrew] ever since" the suggested snub.
King Charles and the Duke of York have been feuding over the latter's grand home ever since the former acceded to the British throne in September 2022. With his heir's firm assistance, it is believed by many that the King "could go full steam ahead in booting the Duke."
"For King Charles, forcing Andrew to move to Frogmore solves several problems at once — it sends a message to Harry that, as a private citizen and no longer a working royal, he will never be allowed back to Frogmore," royal author Tom Quinn said of the ongoing scandal.
He continued, "It sends [a] message to Andrew that having disgraced himself, he can no longer expect to live in the grand style. And, finally, it means that a suitably grand residence can be made ready for the royals who really matter — William and Kate. Charles is determined that Royal Lodge is the only residence on the royal estate at Windsor that is big enough and regal enough for his heir."
However, the source claims, "One of the main reasons why the couple are so content at Adelaide Cottage, their current home in Windsor Great Park, is because it is a family house and there are no live-in staff. Moving into the vast Royal Lodge would mean having to accommodate domestic staff, something they have long resisted."
Further reports also suggest that the king and queen-in-waiting are "house hunting," and many royal analysts suggest the Royal Lodge takeover could be "the truth behind this headline."
Daily Express reported on the insider and expert revelations.