Prince William Isn't the Tough Guy He's Been Made Out to Be

Prince William and ex-Prince Andrew both wear black suits with white shirts and black ties while attending a royal funeral at Westminster Cathedral

(Image credit: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

Prior to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's demotion from the Royal Family, multiple reports suggested Prince William was leading the charge against his disgraced uncle. However, a new profile of Princess Kate—in which she described her children as "feral"—has suggested that Prince William has a lot more sympathy for the former Duke of York than it may seem.

According to the Times, "In the whole sorry saga, William was often painted as the tough guy urging his father to put his foot down. This image of ruthless William was, I'm told, wide of the mark."

The outlet further explained, "If anything, William was deeply concerned for his uncle's mental health and how Andrew would cope after everything was taken away. Nevertheless, William realized that while Andrew had always denied any wrongdoing, he supported his father's decision to strip Andrew of his royal titles. Kate, in turn, supported her husband in the matter."

LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 16: Prince William, Prince of Wales, Catherine, Princess of Wales and Prince Andrew, Duke of York depart after the Requiem Mass service for the Duchess of Kent at Westminster Cathedral on September 16, 2025 in London, England. Katharine, Duchess of Kent was married to Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, the first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. She died on September 4 at the age of 92 at Kensington Palace surrounded by her family. Having converted to Catholicism in 1994, her funeral takes place at Westminster Cathedral and is the first Catholic funeral to be held for a member of the royal family in modern British history. Her Royal Highness will be laid to rest at the Royal Burial Ground at Frogmore, Windsor. (Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage) — "If anything, William was deeply concerned for his uncle's mental health."

Royal author and expert Robert Jobson recently told the Daily Mail that members of the Royal Family were still "dreading" further allegations regarding Andrew. "[I]f The King and his advisors thought stripping his disgraced brother of titles would stem the flow of embarrassing revelations about his sordid association with...Jeffrey Epstein, they must be disappointed—and very concerned," Jobson wrote.

Jobson also suggested that the Prince of Wales was extremely concerned about additional stories emerging regarding his disgraced uncle. "And who doubts there are more revelations to come?" Jobson wrote. "This is precisely what The King and those around him, including Prince William, have been dreading."

Prince Andrew and King Charles laughing and holding programs standing next to Prince William, who is looking away — "This image of ruthless William was, I'm told, wide of the mark."

In 2026, Andrew will reportedly leave Royal Lodge in Windsor for a home on the Sandringham estate—a move the Royal Family allegedly welcomes. But according to the Times, the Prince of Wales is much more concerned about the former Duke of York than previous reports have suggested.

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Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.