Prince William 'Very Involved' In Queen Elizabeth's Prince Andrew Decision, Royal Expert Says

Prince William played a significant role in his grandmother Queen Elizabeth's decision to strip Prince Andrew of his titles and royal duties, a royal expert said.

Kristin Contino told Us Weekly that the 95-year-old British monarch turned to the Duke of Cambridge amid Prince Andrew's sexual assault case and listened to her heir's advice.

"William, in fact, was very involved in this decision, and it’s been said that he met with the queen in person ahead of their announcement that came out last week," the author of "A House Full of Windsor" said.

The royal expert continued, "I think that really shows — and I think that’s interesting — his growing influence and how she trusts his judgment and is looking for his advice. And I think that’s a great sign of things to come for William and how much she is relying on talking to him and his counsel."

In addition to Prince William, who is second in line to the British throne, his father Prince Charles was also involved in the decision.

"But I think [what] a lot of people thought was interesting is William’s heavy involvement in that. So I think she really is leaning on her two heirs at this time [to] help make those sort of big family decisions," Contino added.

Buckingham Palace announced in a statement last week that Prince Andrew, 61, had been stripped of his titles after news broke that he could face trial in a sexual assault lawsuit.

"With The Queen’s approval and agreement, The Duke of York’s military affiliations and Royal patronages have been returned to The Queen" the statement read. "The Duke of York will continue not to undertake any public duties and is defending this case as a private citizen."

An unnamed insider also told the New York Post that the Queen informed her son face-to-face that he has lost his HRH titles. "Son, your grounded," the monarch allegedly said.

The palace released the statement after the public called the royal family's attention to the ruling that Virginia Giuffre's sexual assault civil lawsuit against the Duke of York can proceed to trial.

Giuffre alleged that the late Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell forced her to have sex with Prince Andrew when she was 17. The royal has denied the allegations.

Despite the legal battle Prince Andrew is facing he won't lose his residence in England and won't be removed from the line of succession. The Duke of York signed a 75-year lease for his manor, Royal Lodge, for a one-off fee of $1.4 million to the Crown Estate, according to Joe Little, Majesty magazine managing editor.

Prince Andrew initially stepped back from royal duties in November 2019 after his past with Epstein came to light.