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The Daily Beast can reveal that new tensions have emerged between King Charles and Prince William over the king’s decision to prominently include Prince Andrew in family events in the wake of allegations that dead billionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein made tapes of Andrew having sex.
One friend said William feared there could be “a shit load” of Andrew revelations coming down the pipe for the royals, following the new allegations.
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The Daily Beast understands that while Charles continues to intend to stand by his brother and include him in family events, William is “dismayed” by his father’s “leniency” towards Andrew.
A former courtier who spoke to The Daily Beast also questioned Charles’ “judgement” in publicly appearing with his brother over Christmas when they knew that documents that could be embarrassing for Andrew were due to be released.
The friend said William has been left “utterly bemused by his father’s strategy” after a weekend of torrid headlines about Andrew’s alleged sexual misconduct when he was an associate of Epstein. On Monday, British newspaper front pages were dominated by the content of newly unsealed documents, including emails from Epstein victim Sarah Ransome, in which she alleged Andrew, Richard Branson and Bill Clinton were secretly filmed having sex on Epstein’s orders. Andrew and Clinton have previously denied such claims, and Branson denounced them as baseless on Monday.
The lurid headlines came despite the fact that Ransome subsequently withdrew the allegations she made in her emails.
But appearing on British breakfast show Good Morning Britain today, she reiterated her claims and said she only retracted the allegations because she was threatened by Epstein and his conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell. She said she was told that if she “ever did come forward, myself and my family would be harmed.”
Ransome’s shocking claims echo persistent rumors that Epstein made secret recordings of powerful men having sex at his properties.
Spencer Kuvin, a Florida-based attorney who has advocated for nine of Epstein’s victims, and has called for the FBI to release video made by Epstein which he believes the agency holds, told The Daily Beast via email: “During my walk through of the Palm Beach home I saw where cameras were located but had been removed. Additionally I have a client that can confirm that video recording devices were located inside his Manhattan home in various rooms. It is likely that the FBI confiscated any digital video devices and memory/hard drives when they executed a search warrant at the different locations.”
Asked if William’s anxiety about Andrew apparently being welcomed back into the fold was connected to concerns that such tapes or other damaging evidence might one day surface, the friend of William’s said: “Of course. Everyone knows there is a shit load more stuff that could come out on Andrew. That’s why William was so dismayed by the leniency shown to him at Christmas. He is utterly bemused by his father’s strategy.”
Asked if William had confronted his father about the issue the friend said, “That’s not how the family dynamic works. Charles is the king, so William has to go along with it. But he doesn’t have to like it.”
Prince Andrew attends the Royal Family's Christmas Day service at St. Mary Magdalene's church, eastern England, Britain December 25, 2022.
Toby Melville/ReutersA former courtier told The Daily Beast: “William and his father agreed, in 2022, that Andrew should be kicked out of the royal family. Having ripped off the plaster, you have to question his judgment in walking to church with Andrew at Christmas, especially when they knew the Epstein affair was all going to be raked up again a few days later.”
The former staffer said the next big symbolic test of Charles’ commitment to Andrew would come at Garter Day in June: “It was significant that Andrew was allowed to wear his Garter robes to the Coronation. That suggested he had the king’s support. There are not any mechanisms for throwing people out of things like the Order of the Garter, but it would have been easy enough to order him not to wear the clothes.”
A friend of the king’s said that his position was clear and “unaltered,” that Andrew “was no longer a working royal.” They said the king had allowed Andrew to appear in the company of other royals at Christmas because it was a family event and that they had “no idea” about any plans for Garter Day.
Prince William reportedly said he would refuse to participate in a public appearance on Garter Day in in 2022 after Andrew was included in the parade. Andrew eventually was excluded and William joined the procession. Andrew was again excluded in 2023. Last summer, however, William was photographed giving Andrew a lift to church in what was seen as a significant bit of royal choreography.
Spokespeople for William, Charles and Andrew did not respond to requests for comment.
