The Princess of Wales is said to have been the first senior royal to completely distance herself from the former prince Andrew.
As the fallout from the disgraced ex-duke’s association with pedophile Jeffrey Epstein deepened inside the monarchy, the future queen totally stepped away from her husband’s uncle, according to royal author Christopher Andersen.
Kate, 44, is said to have refused to engage with Andrew, 66, during family gatherings and holidays as concern grew over the reputational damage surrounding the disgraced duke.
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The claims were made by Andersen during an interview with Page Six while promoting his latest royal book, Kate! The Courage, Grace, and Power of the Woman Who Will be Queen.
“She is the first royal to cut (Andrew) off, to turn her back on him,” Andersen said.
He also claimed Kate prevented Andrew from attending her annual Christmas concert at Westminster Abbey.
“He asked, through intermediaries, if he could slip in a side door.”
According to Christopher, the response was direct.
“Nope, we don’t want your face on camera,” he was told.
The renewed scrutiny comes during a period of transition for the royal family amid King Charles’ ongoing cancer battle, and persistent attention on the future role of Prince William and Kate as the monarchy attempts to modernise its public image after years dominated by scandals, and the continuing tensions surrounding the estrangement of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
Kate, who has spent the past year gradually returning to public duties following her cancer treatment, has increasingly been portrayed by royal commentators as a stabilising figure within the monarchy.
She remains one of the royal family’s most popular members through high-profile appearances tied to campaigns around early childhood development and mental health, while also continuing to draw global attention for events such as Together at Christmas and public engagements alongside William.
Andersen argued Kate’s approach towards Andrew reflected concerns about protecting the institution’s future.
“Kate is looking forward,” she said.
“She’s the wife of a future monarch.”
Prince George, 12, remains second in line to the throne behind William.
Andrew – now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor after being stripped of royal titles – has faced years of controversy over his friendship with convicted sex offender Epstein and allegations linked to Virginia Giuffre, who accused the duke of sexual assault while she was a teen and being trafficked by Epstein.
Andrew repeatedly denied the allegations but later reached a multimillion-pound settlement with Giuffre in a civil case without admitting liability.
Andersen alleged William and Kate both pressured King Charles to formally strip Andrew of his remaining royal status in an effort to protect the monarchy from further damage.
