Catherine, Princess of Wales, also known as Kate Middleton, has opted for a quiet autumn, focusing on her big move to her future home, Forest Lodge, with her husband and three children.
Princess Kate, after a complicated year riddled with health issues and minor scandals — such as the yacht trip in Greece and being repeatedly called work-shy — decided to leave Adelaide Cottage.
The home was deemed inadequate for a big family with a large staff, and it contained too many horrific memories: The Queen’s passing and both hers and King Charles’s cancer diagnoses.
Princess Catherine and Prince William wanted a fresh start at Forest Lodge and were not thrilled to be living next door to their disgraced uncle, now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. Andrew is a disgrace in all forms to the monarchy after being entangled for decades in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.
The Royal Women’s Forceful Involvement
It came as no surprise that when King Charles decided it was finally time for the curtain to fall on Andrew, Prince William jumped on the bandwagon in a very forceful manner.
However, the public was largely unaware that the royal women, Princess Catherine and Queen Camilla, who have worked with charities helping abuse victims, also contributed to Andrew’s booting.
Royal sources close to Prince William and Princess Catherine spoke to PEOPLE magazine and confirmed that it was King Charles’s decision to strip his brother, the former Prince Andrew, of all his royal titles, but the Monarch had the support of the wider Royal Family, which was actively involved in ongoing discussions leading up to the announcement.
His Majesty alone made the stunning call not to involve Parliament in his decision to strip Andrew of his titles, honors, and privileges.
However, he had the full backing of Princess Kate and Queen Camilla every step of the way. Royal aides also revealed that the current Queen and future Queen Consort made sure their presence was felt in the public statement because it dealt with a man who had been accused of sexual misconduct against a young woman who was a minor.
The Memoir, the Statement, and the Backlash
King Charles’s decision comes after years of controversy, including Virginia Giuffre‘s civil lawsuit against then-Prince Andrew, accusing him of sexual abuse on multiple occasions when she was a minor while she was being trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein.
Andrew vehemently denied all the allegations in a train-wreck interview on the BBC. Ultimately, the two parties, via their lawyers, settled out of court before the case was set to proceed to a public trial in New York. Andrew, with the late Queen’s help, made a substantial donation to Giuffre’s charity.
Earlier this year, Virginia Giuffre died by suicide, and in October, her memoir, Nobody’s Girl, was published posthumously. It is believed the revelations in the book pushed King Charles to banish his brother.
A source tells PEOPLE they also “sensed a female touch” in the official statement, speculating Queen Camilla and Princess Catherine were part of the decision, providing a direct reference to the allegations of sexual misconduct against Andrew and his known connection to Epstein.
The statement read: “Their Majesties wish to make clear that their thoughts and utmost sympathies have been, and will remain with, the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse.”
The insider claimed: “I would think the Queen had a hand in that. There would have been a push from Camilla and Catherine, and there was pressure from William, who would not want to inherit the headache. It was a family decision. It was quite strong, and I was quite proud when I heard it.”
The leak about Princess Kate’s role in the Andrew scandal has sparked unexpected backlash. Some have taken to social media to criticize Kate Middleton and Queen Camilla for acting in favor of sexual abuse victims like Giuffre now, but argue it is “too little too late.”
Netizens said if only Kate Middleton and Queen Camilla had put their foot down while Virginia Giuffre was alive, if only they had pushed the Royal Family to issue a statement of support for her when she first shared her story, and if only they had taken action to support her when she spoke her truth.
Supporters of Kate Middleton say she is not in power; she is not queen; she did the best she could, and only when she was allowed to.
The Princess of Wales: Influence Within Institutional Limits
Supporters of Catherine, Princess of Wales, argue that criticism of her influence must be measured against the realities of her constitutional position. It is worth noting that she is the Princess of Wales; she is not the reigning monarch nor the Queen Consort, and she must abide by rules and protocols.
Princess Kate must operate within a defined hierarchy and structure and has little capacity to affect major institutional or royal decisions. Therefore, her actions and interventions, such as those regarding the former Duke of York, represent the maximum effort and influence she could exercise.
Queen Camilla did not have the same support online.
