Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's desperate plea to speak with Prince William at the Duchess of Kent's funeral marked a 'pivotal moment in his fall from grace', according to royal author Andrew Lownie. 

The disgraced ex-Duke of York's desperation to get his nephew alone 'vividly' emphasised 'the absolute disdain with which he was held by the Prince of Wales', Mr Lownie, writer of best-selling book Entitled: The Rise And Fall Of The House Of York, told the Daily Mail.

Gathering on the steps of Westminster Cathedral after the Requiem Mass service on September 16, the former prince appeared to be visibly shunned by his relatives as he stood there grinning alongside his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson.

The disgraced royal's joyful appearance seemed to embarrass William, who warned his uncle that his laughter at such a solemn occasion was 'not a good look', a source previously claimed, before appearing to shut down any further chat with Andrew.

Footage of the frosty exchange showed William looking deeply uncomfortable – and revealed publicly for the first time the Prince's true feelings towards Andrew, who has been engulfed by the scandal surrounding his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.

According to Mr Lownie, the funeral 'brought home just what an entitled oaf Andrew was and from then on his troubles snowballed'.

'The pictures of the former Prince Andrew at the funeral of the Duchess of Kent’s funeral was a pivotal moment in his fall from grace,' he added.

'Later that month the King announced that Andrew would be losing his title and evicted from Royal Lodge.' 

According to lip reader Nicola Hickling, who later analysed video footage of the pair's tense exchange, the ex-Duke of York used that moment to plead for his nephew's forgiveness.

The disgraced ex-Duke of York's desperation to get his nephew alone 'vividly' emphasised 'the absolute disdain with which he was held by the Prince of Wales', Mr Lownie told the Daily Mail.

Andrew apparently asks William, who was joined by his wife Kate: 'I've learnt from what I've done but before I forget, and if I can, I'd like to ask you if you can forgive?'

It came amid continued controversy over his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, which led to his titles being stripped the following month and him being kicked out of his home at Royal Lodge.

In February, Andrew was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office, over claims he passed sensitive information to the paedophile while serving as UK trade envoy from 2001 to 2011.

The former prince's apparently desperate plea came after he greeted the Prince and Princess of Wales at the funeral, saying: 'Good afternoon, William and Catherine, how are you?'

Kate replies, 'Good, thank you', with lip reader Ms Hickling explaining: 'At this point, William looks a little bit uneasy, before saying to Andrew, "What can I do for you?"'

Andrew then allegedly said, 'We're really closed in together,' before William gives what Ms Hickling called a 'simple response', of just, 'Yes'.

Mr Lownie noted that Andrew and William's tense exchange was merely the beginning of his problems, with the former prince arrested and questioned just months later. 

'Phil Noble's snap of Andrew slumped in the back of a car looking obviously shocked after his day of questioning brought home to the public that the Queen’s second son might actually be held to account for his actions,' he said.

'It was also the first time that perhaps Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor realised the seriousness of his situation.'

Yet while Andrew may initially have grasped the severity of the predicament he found himself in, Mr Lownie noted that it didn't take long for the former prince to 'resort to character blaming everyone but himself for his predicament'. 

And the royal author fears that things are only about to get far worse for the disgraced royal.

'That may be about to change with fresh documentation likely to be released in the coming months from a libel case settled by Ghislaine Maxwell and the release of more Epstein files,' he said.

'The first anniversary of the Duchess of Kent’s funeral may mark another crucial stage in the fall of the most popular prince.'

The year that followed was one tied to great scandal and tragedy for the former prince.

Andrew has been continually engulfed by the scandal surrounding his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, while his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson has suffered her own fall from grace.

Indeed, Mr Lownie previously noted that King Charles struggled to 'bite the bullet' with his brother, which left William 'annoyed and frustrated', ultimately leading him to reportedly drive the movement to have the disgraced prince exiled.

He told The i: 'Charles is sentimental, he's very compassionate, he's a bit of a ditherer,' Lownie explained.

'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.'

And when Princess Anne offered for Andrew to come and live with her once he was ousted from the Royal Lodge, William is said to have dubbed the possibility 'madness'.

He added that William is demonstrating his toughness now to ensure a 'clean stable' when his reign comes – a reality much more possible, Lownie believes, with Kate by his side.

William's cutthroat tendency was further revealed when Prince William recently declared his commitment to the Church of England and spoke of his 'quiet faith', which may have been something of a sting for the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby.

And according to royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams, Welby isn't the only one to feel the chill after displeasing the heir to the throne.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, he said: 'William is our future king. Thank goodness he has a ruthless streak, as this is needed in today's world, especially with the monarchy among its most closely watched institutions.

'He is clearly an excellent judge of character and has deservedly won praise for his diplomatic skills.'