King Charles III has stripped his younger brother, Prince Andrew, of his royal title and ordered him to vacate his Windsor residence, marking one of the most decisive royal actions since the late Queen Elizabeth II’s reign.
The move follows renewed public scrutiny over Andrew’s long-standing ties with convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein, which have continued to cast a shadow over the British monarchy.
In a statement on Thursday, Buckingham Palace confirmed that the King “has today initiated a formal process to remove the style, titles, and honours of Prince Andrew.”
According to the palace, the 65-year-old royal “will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor,” effectively losing his right to the title “Prince.”
The statement also disclosed that a formal notice has been served for him to surrender the lease on Royal Lodge, his long-time Windsor residence, where he has lived for over two decades.
He is expected to relocate to Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, with future accommodation privately funded by the King.
The palace said, “These censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him.
“Their Majesties wish to make clear that their thoughts and utmost sympathies have been, and will remain with, the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse.”
Duchess Of York Also Affected
As part of the changes, Andrew’s ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, who has retained the title Duchess of York since their 1996 divorce, will also move out of Royal Lodge and revert to her maiden name.
The 66-year-old author and television personality is the mother of Andrew’s two daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.
Although an act of parliament would be required to formally strip Andrew of his Duke of York title, he voluntarily ceased using it earlier this month amid mounting pressure over his continued association with Epstein.
The latest action comes shortly after the release of Nobody’s Girl, a posthumous memoir by Virginia Giuffre, who repeated her claims that she was forced to have sex with Andrew as a teenager on three occasions, allegations he has consistently denied.
The scandal resurfaced this month after leaked emails revealed that Andrew had remained in contact with Epstein months after publicly stating that he had severed ties with the financier in 2010.
Andrew’s association with Epstein has plagued his public life since his disastrous BBC Newsnight interview in 2019, which led him to step down from royal duties.
In 2022, Andrew reached an out-of-court settlement with Giuffre in a U.S. civil lawsuit, without admitting liability. The settlement prompted Queen Elizabeth II to strip him of his honorary military titles and royal patronages.
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