According to royal author Nigel Cawthorne, Charles and William used Prince Andrew’s ‘car crash’ BBC Newsnight interview about Jeffrey Epstein as a cover while they leaked information about Harry.
In his new book, Prince Andrew, Epstein and the Palace, Cawthorne suggests the royal family saw the interview as a chance to remove both Andrew and Harry and create the ‘slimmed down’ monarchy Charles has long desired.
“The two heirs found common cause that the unwieldy monarchy has to pruned, starting with their independently-minded brothers Andrew and Harry,” Cawthorne claimed, via the Daily Mail.
“The starting shot was Andrew’s BBC Newsnight interview. The Charles faction at the palace clearly saw that it created the opportunity of removing not only Andrew, but also Harry from royal engagements.”
Rumours of Harry and Meghan Markle’s exit began circulating around the end of 2019, not long after Andrew’s interview aired in November and he was made to “step back” from royal duties.
The information wasn’t proven true until early January of 2020, when the couple made a bombshell announcement revealing their plans to leave the monarchy. At the time, it was widely reported that both Charles and William were completely blindsided by the Sussexes plans to leave.
As such, there has been dispute over Cawthorne’s claims that William and Charles were the ones who orchestrated the couple’s departure. But he maintains that both Harry and Andrew’s back to back exits were part of a “silent coup”.
“Harry’s retirement is irrevocable and it is unclear when Prince Andrew will return from his sabbatical. In the modern history of Buckingham Palace it was probably one of the most stunning silent coups,” he said.
Cawthorne’s controversial claims seem to align with reports that Charles has always wanted a ‘slimmed down’ monarchy, however orchestrating a coup to remove Harry and Andrew from the already small pool of working royals seems unlikely.
Harry’s departure in particular is a blow to the younger generations of royals, as it leaves William with a stark lack of support as he continues in his path to the throne.
“While there’s widespread public support for the Sussexes’ desire to embrace a more independent life, there’s also no denying the irreplaceable void their absence will create,” 9Honey’s royal columnist, Victoria Arbiter, previously wrote.
“It’s a stark reminder that, as we look to the future, William and Kate will be the only working royals of their generation.” Indeed, it seems unlikely that William and his father would go to such lengths behind the scenes to remove such a popular young royal face from the monarchy’s public line up.