Prince William and King Charles' Trip to Balmoral Is a 'PR Spin,' Source Insists: 'This Isn't Just a Family Spat'

Prince William and King Charles recently spent some father-son time in Balmoral, but according to gossip columnist Rob Shuter, the pair's "mini-break" is purely a "PR spin.”

"The palace wants images of unity, but father and son are miles apart,” a source shared of where the two stand. The two can't seem to agree on their relatives, as William seems to have issues with Prince Andrew and Prince Harry.

"This isn’t just a family spat," another insider said. "It’s about the monarchy’s future. If they can’t agree, the whole institution looks weak."

Though William doesn't want to be near his uncle, the same can't be said for Charles.

"Charles thinks keeping Andrew and Fergie close somehow protects the family. But to everyone else, it looks reckless, naïve, and frankly stupid. The scandals around those two never end,” the insider explained.

Another publication had a different tale to tell regarding the Balmoral trip, with sources insisting it’s a “much looked forward to” trip and that Charles and William's time together is “in no way connected to recent family dramas.”

“They speak very regularly, and there has been no fallout,” they added.

Ultimately, "William’s view is that his father needs to take a firmer line with Andrew," royal author Andrew Lownie. "I think this could cause real tensions between Charles and William. William, as future king, will have to deal with the fallout from this. He wants this problem solved and has no sentimental attachment to Andrew. He has no time for Andrew, and he can see how toxic the Yorks are."

Things started to go south after Andrew was named in Virginia Giuffre’s civil lawsuit in 2021 for his alleged sexual assault and ties to Jeffrey Epstein, but things got even worse when he allegedly made “nasty” comments about William's wife, Kate Middleton.

Lownie noted he couldn’t “see how anyone would make unkind comments about Kate when she’s been the family’s saving grace.”

“It surprised me, but people do get jealous,” he added. “I’d have thought Prince Andrew would respect William as future king, though. William has a very strong sense of public duty and is doing his best to keep the show on the road. He’s all about doing things the right way and has enough on his plate without having to think about his uncle.”