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LONDON (AP) — King Charles III on Thursday stripped his embattled brother, Prince Andrew, of his remaining royal titles and ordered him to vacate his residence after weeks of mounting pressure over his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Buckingham Palace said.
Following the unprecedented move, Andrew will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, no longer a prince, and must leave his Royal Lodge mansion near Windsor Castle.
Calls for Andrew’s removal intensified after he voluntarily relinquished the title Duke of York earlier this month, amid renewed sexual abuse allegations by Virginia Roberts Giuffre, one of Epstein’s victims. Giuffre’s posthumous memoir, released last week, detailed her allegations.
The king went further, removing the title of prince he had held since birth as the son of the late Queen Elizabeth II, citing “serious lapses of judgment.”
“These censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him,” Buckingham Palace said. “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.”
It is almost unprecedented for a British prince to be stripped of his title. The last occurrence was in 1919 when Prince Ernest Augustus, a U.K. royal and prince of Hanover, lost his British title for siding with Germany during World War I.
Toppling a Prince
Giuffre’s brother, Skye Roberts, hailed the decision as a victory for his late sister, who died by suicide in April at age 41.“Today, an ordinary American girl from an ordinary American family, brought down a British prince with her truth and extraordinary courage,” he told the BBC.
Andrew faced renewed public scrutiny earlier this month after emails surfaced showing he had stayed in contact with Epstein longer than he had previously disclosed. This was followed by the publication of Giuffre’s memoir, Nobody’s Girl, which alleges three sexual encounters with Andrew when she was 17. According to the book, Andrew acted as though “having sex with me was his birthright.”
Andrew, 65, has consistently denied the allegations but stepped back from royal duties after a disastrous 2019 BBC interview attempting to rebut Giuffre’s claims. He later reached a multi-million-dollar out-of-court settlement in 2022, acknowledging her suffering but admitting no wrongdoing.
Charles Confronts the Controversy
While Charles had discussed the issue with Andrew before the duke relinquished his title, the king had largely avoided the scandal until this week.During a visit to Lichfield Cathedral on Monday, Charles was heckled by a man questioning what he knew about Andrew and Epstein, and whether the police had covered up for his brother. The king did not respond, and the man was eventually escorted away. Video of the incident made national news the following morning.
The removal of Andrew is the most dramatic royal departure since 1936, when King Edward VIII abdicated to marry Wallis Simpson. Edward and Wallis were given the titles Duke and Duchess of Windsor and lived the rest of their lives in exile. By contrast, Prince Harry, despite renouncing royal duties and moving to California, remains a prince and the Duke of Sussex.
Titles and Honors Lost
Andrew will no longer be styled as His Royal Highness, the Duke of York, Earl of Inverness, or Baron Killyleagh. He also loses honors including the Order of the Garter and the status of Knight Grand Cross of the Victorian Order.From Royal Favorite to Tabloid Fodder
Once considered Queen Elizabeth II’s favorite child, Andrew was a royal poster boy, with romantic liaisons and high-profile military service during the 1982 Falklands War. Yet decades of scandal, including controversial friendships, shady business deals, and inappropriate behavior, eroded his reputation.Even before the Epstein scandal, he had been linked to a suspected Chinese spy, demonstrating how financial and personal misjudgments further complicated his public image.
Andrew is expected to move to a property on King Charles’ Sandringham estate on the northeast coast of England and will receive private financial support from his brother. His ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, who had been living with him at Royal Lodge, will need to find a new residence.
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