Prince William’s ‘ruthless streak’ that makes him an excellent judge of character

The Prince of Wales has a “ruthless streak” that makes him an excellent judge of character, according to a royal biographer. 

In fact, it was Prince William, 43, who played a major role in the royal family’s handling of the Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor crisis, according to Andrew Lownie, author of Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York. 

Though the Prince has often exuded “normality” – he is a relatable parent to George, Charlotte, and Louis, and a loving husband to Kate – it’s actually he who “calls the shots” behind the scenes. 

The royal author told the i Paper: “William is calling the shots more now that we’re in this transitional phase towards him taking over.”

Where King Charles is “sentimental” and a “bit of a ditherer”, Andrew Lownie claims that William is much tougher and was “annoyed and frustrated” about the delay to act regarding Andrew. 

For example, William is thought to have been the driving force behind decisions such as the removal of Andrew’s titles and his initial stepping down from royal duties after the 2019 BBC Newsnight interview. 

“William can’t speak out, because he’s number two and he won’t cross his father, but he’ll have had a big influence,” added Andrew Lownie.

Taking action over Andrew

In Tom Bower’s book Betrayal, published in March, it was alleged that King Charles was “criticised” over his “reticence” when dealing with his younger brother. 

Tom Bower described the monarch as “dithering” when making decisions about Andrew, meaning Prince William was forced to intervene. 

He writes: “Charles was criticised by some senior members of the Establishment for failing to resolve conclusively the embarrassments presented by Harry and Andrew. His reticence weakened the Crown’s reputation. By failing to consider properly the consequences of the princes’ actions for the future of the monarchy, Charles rightly questioned his own and Camilla’s popularity. Public opinion mattered.” 

The clash was sent to take place after emails from Andrew to Epstein were revealed by the Mail on Sunday in October 2025, one month after the former prince joined members of the royal family in public at the Duchess of Kent’s funeral. 

But when “William heaped pressure on his father”, Andrew finally surrendered his titles – meaning he would no longer be known as Prince or the Duke of York. 

Preparing to become King

According to HELLO!‘s Royal Editor, Emily Nash, Prince William is taking a “personal” approach to power for when he one day becomes King. 

© Andrew Parsons / Kensington Pala

In recent weeks, he gave an emotional interview on Heart FM, opening up about everything from the school run to the Princess of Wales’s cancer diagnosis. He appeared just like any other football fan in the stands to watch Aston Villa win the Europa League in Istanbul. 

Speaking about Kate, he said: “She’s an amazing mum and an amazing wife, and literally our family couldn’t cope without her so she’s been absolutely stunning.”

Emily said: “In the wake of the murky financial dealings of his uncle Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, he appears determined to show that he is not just there to reap the rewards of his role, but to give back.”

For example, he has announced plans to sell off around 20 per cent of the Duchy of Cornwall over the next decade, which last year provided him with a profit of £22.8 million. 

Emily added: “William has spoken about his desire to make change, and this is a good indicator of how he might approach his future reign too.

“For centuries, heirs to the throne inherited the Duchy of Cornwall. William seems determined to reinvent it — and, in time, the monarchy itself.”