King Charles has stripped his younger brother, Prince Andrew, of his royal title and ordered him to vacate his Windsor home, Royal Lodge, following renewed scrutiny over his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
In a statement on Thursday night, Buckingham Palace announced that the King’s brother will henceforth be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. The Palace said, “His Majesty has today initiated a formal process to remove the style, titles and honours of Prince Andrew,” adding that “formal notice has now been served to surrender the lease” on his Windsor residence.
The disgraced royal will move into private accommodation on the Sandringham Estate, in housing reportedly funded by the King.
“These censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him,” the Palace said, while reaffirming its support for victims of “any and all forms of abuse.”
Andrew relinquished his other royal titles earlier this month — including the Duke of York — after renewed attention on his connection to Epstein and resurfaced sexual abuse claims made by Virginia Giuffre.
In a memoir published posthumously, Giuffre repeated allegations that she was forced to have sex with Andrew on three occasions as a teenager. Andrew has consistently denied any wrongdoing. Giuffre, who died by suicide earlier this year, was praised by her family for having “brought down a British prince with her truth and extraordinary courage.”
Reacting on BBC’s Question Time, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy described the move as “a huge development and a big step for the King to take,” adding that it sent “a very powerful message to the victims of grooming and sex offences.”
Government sources confirmed that ministers were consulted on the decision and supported it fully.
The development marks the most severe consequence yet of the scandals that have engulfed Andrew since his friendship with Epstein came to light. Earlier this month, 2011 emails resurfaced showing that Andrew remained in contact with Epstein months after publicly claiming to have cut ties.
Questions have also intensified over Andrew’s finances and his ability to maintain his lavish lifestyle despite no longer being a working royal.
Andrew has lived at Royal Lodge since 2004 under a 75-year lease with the Crown Estate, reportedly paying a token rent in exchange for over £8 million in upfront renovation payments.
The Grade II-listed property features a gardener’s cottage, a chapel lodge, six-bedroom cottage, and extensive security facilities. His ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, who recently reverted to her maiden name after losing her Duchess of York title, is also expected to vacate the estate and make her own living arrangements.
In a further damaging revelation this week, it was confirmed that Andrew hosted Epstein at Royal Lodge in 2006 during Princess Beatrice’s birthday celebrations — two months after Epstein had been issued a U.S. arrest warrant for sexually assaulting a minor.
With Thursday’s announcement, Buckingham Palace is seeking to close one of the most damaging chapters in recent royal history — formally ending the era of “Prince Andrew” and replacing it with the more ordinary title of Andrew Mountbatten Windsor.
