Prince William and his uncle Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor may share royal blood, but any meaningful relationship between the two appears to have completely broken down.
While tensions between the Prince of Wales and the disgraced former duke have been visible for years, a royal author claims one particular incident involving Princess Kate pushed matters past the point of no return.
According to royal biographer Andrew Lownie the rift deepened dramatically after Andrew allegedly made a rude and disrespectful remark about William’s wife.
In his book Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the house of York, Lownie claims a source told him that Andrew’s relationship with his nephew deteriorated rapidly as scandals surrounding his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein intensified.
However, Lownie writes that matters worsened further when Andrew allegedly made an offensive comment about Kate something William is said to have taken extremely badly.
From that point onward, insiders suggest William became determined to distance himself and the breakdown was notably visible during public appearances.
At the funeral of the Duchess of Kent in September, Andrew was seen standing near Prince William and Kate, yet the couple appeared to make a concerted effort to avoid engaging with him.
Royal watchers described the interaction, or lack thereof, as “icy” and “deliberate”.
Andrew has not been invited to spend Christmas with the Royal Family this year, following his removal from royal duties and ongoing controversies.
Instead, it is believed he will either remain at Royal Lodge, while he still lives there, or spend the day privately with friends.
