PRINCE Charles planned Andrew’s axing before getting son William’s full backing, The Celeb Report can reveal.
The two heirs then told the Queen her “favourite son” must go because of the damage caused by sex abuse claims.
The Prince of Wales sharpened the knife over Christmas, deciding his brother had “run out of road” and should be stripped of all military titles, patronages and his HRH status to protect the Royal Family.
He sought counsel from William, who was spending the holiday season with his wife and children at their Anmer Hall home in Norfolk.
Charles, 73, and Wills, 39, told the Queen they had agreed Andrew must go after his New York sex abuse hearing earlier this month, sources told The Celeb Report. The 95-year-old Queen replied that she was “of the same opinion”, although sources say it was with a “heavy heart”.
Royal experts say Charles’ powerplay shows how he needs to “flex his muscles” to help the Queen now she no longer has husband Philip by her side.
Once Andrew’s fate was decided, his siblings Princess Anne and Prince Edward visited him at his 30-room mansion Royal Lodge last weekend where it is believed they warned of what was to come.
Armed with support from her successors, the Queen reluctantly severed Andrew’s royal privileges on Thursday lunchtime just 24 hours after Judge Lewis Kaplan ordered him to face a civil trial in New York.
A source told The Celeb Report: “The collective view was that Andrew was damaging the entire family.”
Andrew, 61, was left without any family support, it is understood.
Another source revealed: “Charles first decided that Andrew must go.
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“He felt he’s just run out of road. So he discussed it with William in the days between Christmas and New Year and his son fully agreed with him. William and Charles then informed the Queen that they were of the same opinion. Ultimately, it was the Queen’s final decision but she told them she shared their view. The Queen and Andrew had the final conversations on the matter on Thursday.”
A third source said: “William thought it needed to be resolved. His views were similar to Charles’s in that it needed to be sorted out.
“He didn’t think the Duke of York was handling it well at all.”
Charles spent Christmas Day and Boxing Day at Windsor Castle with the Queen and up to 20 family members including Andrew where his case was “widely discussed”.
Days later he spoke to William who was spending the break 150 miles away in Norfolk.
Andrew was locked down in Royal Lodge between Christmas and New Year preparing for a hearing in which he was trying to throw out the case on a technicality.
He was left alone as ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, and their two daughters Beatrice and Eugenie and their husbands Edo and Jack, flew to Switzerland for a skiing break.
They stayed in Andy and Fergie’s Verbier chalet which they are selling to recoup at least £10million to fund a potential settlement with accuser Virginia Giuffre.
