Royal author Robert Jobson said the sisters felt conflicted, having believed their father’s repeated assurances that he had done nothing wrong — the same explanation he had given to the late Queen Elizabeth and to Charles.
Among the revelations were claims that their mother, Sarah Ferguson, had taken them to visit Epstein shortly after his release from prison in 2009. Ferguson herself was affected by Andrew’s loss of status. After his Duke of York title was removed, she also lost her courtesy duchess title and reverted to her maiden name, with commentators noting the potential impact on her public profile.
William’s Push for Action
Prince William had reportedly urged decisive action years earlier. After Andrew’s 2019 BBC Newsnight interview — widely seen as damaging — William is said to have pressed his father to intervene.
A source explained, “Once you understand the fact that everything that happens in the here and now affects everything in the future, William’s future, it is very easy to put yourself in his shoes. He never much liked his uncle and wanted him out of the picture immediately before the rot further set in.”