King Charles has reportedly shocked even senior royal insiders with how firm and uncompromising he has become in dealing with his disgraced brother Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. What many expected to be a cautious and slow moving response has instead turned into what observers are calling one of the toughest internal crackdowns the monarchy has seen in decades.
According to royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams, the King’s handling of the Andrew situation has been far more brutal than the royal family itself anticipated. Speaking publicly about the matter, Fitzwilliams suggested that Charles reached a point where preserving the institution mattered more than protecting family sensitivities.
Buckingham Palace has now confirmed that Andrew Mountbatten Windsor will lose his remaining royal titles and vacate Royal Lodge by October 2025. For many, this marked a clear line in the sand and a decisive break from years of perceived hesitation surrounding the former Duke of York.
Fitzwilliams explained that King Charles believed this course of action was unavoidable, even if it appeared unforgiving. The commentator noted that the situation had lingered for so long that the damage was no longer contained, placing sustained pressure on the monarch and the wider royal household.
The steady drip of damaging revelations over the years has taken a visible toll on the monarchy’s public image. Fitzwilliams described the humiliation surrounding the saga as something that simply compounded with time, making firm intervention not just necessary but overdue.
Public opinion appears to support the King’s tougher stance. Recent YouGov polling shows that 58 per cent of Britons believe the royal family waited too long to act against Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, while only around one fifth felt the timing was appropriate.
Crucially, almost no one surveyed felt the response was rushed. This sentiment has reinforced the idea that King Charles may have acted late but is now moving decisively to prevent further reputational harm to the Crown.
Despite the controversy, broader support for the monarchy remains surprisingly resilient. Around 64 per cent of the public continue to back the United Kingdom remaining a constitutional monarchy, a figure that has barely shifted throughout King Charles’s reign.
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Just under a quarter of respondents said they would prefer an elected head of state, while the remaining majority still believe the royal institution plays a valuable role in national life. This stability has given Charles some breathing room to make unpopular but necessary decisions.
Within this turbulent backdrop, attention has increasingly turned to the Prince and Princess of Wales. Prince William and Kate Middleton have emerged largely unscathed from the fallout, maintaining strong public approval ratings even as the Andrew issue dominates headlines.
William is widely seen as aligned with his father’s tougher approach, particularly as he prepares for his future role as King. Sources suggest that the Prince of Wales understands the importance of drawing clear boundaries to safeguard the monarchy long term.
Kate Middleton, meanwhile, continues to be viewed as a stabilising figure within the royal family. Her consistent focus on children, mental health and community initiatives has helped reinforce public goodwill toward the Wales household.
Approval ratings for Prince William and Kate Middleton reportedly sit comfortably in the mid seventies, a level of popularity that has barely shifted in recent months. For palace aides, this is seen as a sign that the public separates the actions of Andrew Mountbatten Windsor from the future of the monarchy.
As King Charles pushes ahead with difficult reforms, insiders believe he is signalling a new era of accountability. The message appears clear that protecting the Crown now outweighs shielding individuals, even when family ties are involved.
With Andrew Mountbatten Windsor set to step further out of royal life, the focus is likely to remain on how firmly King Charles continues to reshape the monarchy. For many observers, this moment could define his reign and set the tone for Prince William’s future leadership.
