EXCLUSIVE: Prince William Viewed His Uncle Andrew as a 'Threat' to His Reign — Before Disgraced Royal's Arrested Over Epstein Ties

Prince William saw his uncle, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, as a "threat" to his reign and his family months before the 66-year-old became the first royal in almost 400 years to be arrested, RadarOnline.com can reveal.

The disgraced royal was arrested at his home on the Sandringham estate on Thursday, February 19, over his ties to pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, but was released just hours later.

The former prince's arrest, while it came as a shock, had many people cheering, especially William, who is said to have wanted Andrew out of the royal family for good.

A source previously claimed the future king saw Andrew as "a threat to the monarchy."

"In his view, Andrew has done nothing but bring shame and disgrace to the royal family," the insider said at the time. In October 2025, Andrew was stripped of his royal titles by his brother, King Charles, following his link to the late sex offender. Epstein's sex victim, Virginia Giuffre, had also sued Andrew for allegedly sexually assaulting her when she was 17.

While Andrew continued to deny the accusations, he ended up settling the suit for a reported $16million.

"William will have nothing to do with him," a source claimed at the time, adding the 43-year-old had "turned his back on Andrew." Another insider noted William and his family were "sick to death" of all the shame Andrew had brought them.

According to the tipster, the family was looking to "boot" Andrew from the fold "once and for all."

Andrew was released from police custody just hours after he was arrested; however, it is unclear if he was released on bail or if he was released under investigation.

The vile royal was then photographed in a car departing from the Aylsham police station in Norfolk shortly after 7 pm on Thursday.

Soon after his arrest, the king spoke out, confirming investigators have "our full and wholehearted support and co-operation."

"Let me state clearly: the law must take its course," he continued in a statement. "As this process continues, it would not be right for me to comment further on this matter.

Charles added, "Meanwhile, my family and I will continue in our duty and service to you all."

Meanwhile, according to author Russell Myers in his new royal book, William & Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story, William always wanted Andrew out of the circle, especially following his nightmare 2019 Newsnight interview.

"Long before he was embroiled in the (Epstein) scandal, (William) had always thought his uncle was a bit of an ignoramus," Myers writes, quoting an insider. "He had seen how Andrew behaved in front of staff, ordering people about, the aggressive or dismissive manner – they had never seen eye to eye."

He continues: "William didn't think that either of them (Andrew or his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson) should be anywhere near the family, publicly or otherwise, but he was overruled by his father."

However, William is now said to be rubbing it in, as he appeared to be right about Andrew all along.

"Among those closest to William, there's a prevailing feeling that he anticipated this trajectory years ago," an insider recently told Radar. "As far back as the late 2010s, he was expressing concerns that Andrew's continued proximity to the royal fold represented a slow-burning reputational risk.

"William didn't see it as a one-off scandal that would fade – he saw it as something that could resurface repeatedly and erode public trust over time."