Prince William fears Andrew scandal could cast shadow over his future reign

Prince William is said to be deeply anxious that the ongoing controversy surrounding Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s past ties to Jeffrey Epstein could cast a long shadow over his future reign.

Recently, Kensington Palace issued a brief statement on behalf of William and Kate Middleton, saying they were focused on the victims amid Epstein scandal.

However, new report by a US-based entertainment site claimed that the Prince of Wales wanted to issue a harsh statement against his “disgraced” uncle.

“He wants to lay into his uncle publicly but he’s being held back, his statement certainly wasn’t favourable, but it was nowhere near as harsh as he’d have liked,” they said.

“His view is that it’s all too little, too late and he’s predicting he’ll be the one holding the bag. That’s what worries him the most, what it will do to the monarchy long-term.”

They added, “Ever since this started making headlines there have been more and more voices openly questioning the relevance of the monarchy.

“William needs to prove that the monarchy still has value in a modern world. Andrew has made an uphill battle even steeper.”

The source further said that after Kate’s battle with cancer, William really thought things were getting better for him and that he would finally get the chance to enjoy a more peaceful life.

However, “Andrew and all this horrific mess with Epstein have completely blown that up. William is back in it, 24/7 and totally stressed to the max all over again.

“He’s happy it’s not his wife that’s fighting for her life, but he does feel as though he’s now fighting to keep the monarchy alive.”