LONDON — Prince Andrew has been stripped of his royal title and ordered to vacate his Windsor residence, Royal Lodge, after weeks of growing public anger over his ties to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
In a statement issued late Thursday, Buckingham Palace confirmed that the King’s younger brother will no longer be styled as “Prince” and will instead go by Andrew Mountbatten Windsor.
“The King has today initiated a formal process to remove the style, titles and honours of Prince Andrew,” the Palace said, adding that “formal notice has now been served to surrender the lease on Royal Lodge.”
The decision marks a rare and decisive step by King Charles III to distance the monarchy from one of its most damaging scandals in decades.
A Title Lost, a Home Relinquished
Andrew’s removal follows weeks of renewed scrutiny after the publication of a posthumous memoir by Virginia Giuffre. In it, she repeated allegations that, as a teenager, she was forced to have sex with the royal on three occasions claims he has always denied.
Giuffre who took her own life earlier this year, was praised by her family for her “truth and extraordinary courage.”
The Palace’s statement went on to express support for victims of “any and all forms of abuse.”
As part of the move, Andrew is expected to relocate to a smaller private residence on the Sandringham Estate, said to be funded personally by the King. His daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, will retain their titles, while his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson is understood to be making new living arrangements of her own.
A Fall from Grace
The decision comes after the Duke of York voluntarily gave up his remaining titles earlier this month. He had lived at Royal Lodge since 2004 under a 75-year lease with the Crown Estate, a deal that raised eyebrows over the years for its unusual financial terms.
Documents reviewed by the BBC revealed that Andrew paid more than £8 million upfront for renovations in lieu of annual rent, effectively securing the mansion for life.
Critics questioned how he could sustain such arrangements given he is no longer a working royal and does not receive public funding.
In a further blow, fresh details emerged this week that Epstein visited Royal Lodge in 2006 for Princess Beatrice’s birthday part, two months after a U.S. arrest warrant was issued for him for sexual assault of a minor.
Andrew declined to comment.
Political and Public Reaction
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy called the King’s decision “a very powerful message to victims of grooming and sexual exploitation.” Speaking on BBC’s Question Time, she said: “This is a huge development and a bold step for the King to take. I really support it.”
Government sources confirmed ministers were consulted and backed the Palace’s decision.
The move is widely seen as an attempt by the monarchy to draw a firm line under years of scandal and controversy surrounding Andrew’s association with Epstein.
Despite the fall from grace, Andrew remains eighth in line to the throne, a reminder of how close the disgraced royal once was to the heart of Britain’s monarchy.
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