This week, Prince William shifted attention away from the scandal involving his uncle, Prince Andrew, by focusing on environmental work during his trip to Brazil for the Earthshot Prize.
William spent five days in Brazil and will return to the UK on Friday. During the trip, he attended the Earthshot Prize awards in Rio de Janeiro, with performances by Kylie Minogue and Shawn Mendes, and a video message from Tom Cruise. He also represented King Charles at the COP30 climate summit in Belém.
Sources say William is very pleased with how the trip went—and even more relieved that headlines are no longer focused on Andrew. William has reportedly been very aware of how much damage Andrew’s situation has done to the royal family and is determined to protect the monarchy’s image.
Royal insiders say William and Princess Kate played a major role in the decision to strip Andrew of his royal titles, even though King Charles made the official announcement. On October 30, Buckingham Palace confirmed that Andrew would lose his titles and would have to leave Royal Lodge, his longtime home. He will now live on the more private Sandringham estate.
William and Kate recently moved into Forest Lodge in Windsor, where they are expected to stay when they become king and queen. Sources say the couple made it clear they did not want Andrew living near them.
Some see this tough action toward Andrew as a warning to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. A source said William is very protective of the monarchy and will not let anyone harm its reputation, even family members. Charles may be willing to keep communication open with Harry, but William is said to be more cautious and firm.
William and Charles recently met in Scotland to discuss how to handle the “Andrew problem.” The king did not want direct conflict, but William believed Andrew needed to be kept at a distance. Both eventually agreed that strong action was necessary.
