In a dramatic and nearly unprecedented move, Britain’s King Charles III has ordered his brother, Prince Andrew, to be stripped of all remaining royal styles, titles, and honours, and has forced his eviction from his long-time residence, Royal Lodge on the Windsor estate. The decision comes amid sustained public pressure and renewed scrutiny over Andrew’s association with the late convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein.
The official statement from Buckingham Palace on Thursday confirmed the King’s decisive action:
“His Majesty has today initiated a formal process to remove the style, titles, and honors of Prince Andrew. Prince Andrew will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. His lease on Royal Lodge has, to date, provided him with legal protection to continue in residence. Formal notice has now been served to surrender the lease, and he will move to alternative private accommodation. These censures are deemed necessary, not with standing the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him.”
The statement concluded with a direct acknowledgement of the scandal’s victims: “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.”
Loss of ‘Prince’ Title and Eviction from Royal Lodge
The King’s decision goes further than earlier measures, formally removing the title of “Prince” that Andrew has held since birth. He will no longer be styled as “His Royal Highness” or the Duke of York (a title he had previously offered to stop using), nor will he retain his subsidiary peerages or honours such as the prestigious Order of the Garter.
Following the surrender of his lease, Andrew, who had resided at Royal Lodge with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson (who will also move out), is expected to relocate to alternative private accommodation on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk County. Reports indicate that Sandringham is privately owned by King Charles III, and the King will personally fund his disgraced brother’s future accommodation and private provision.
The Context: Epstein Allegations and Previous Actions
The official censure comes despite Andrew’s repeated denials of any wrongdoing in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. The allegations, which have followed the former working royal for years, include a civil lawsuit filed in 2021 by Virginia Roberts Giuffre, one of Epstein’s survivors. Giuffre alleged that she was trafficked to the Prince and sexually abused as a teen, an accusation Andrew settled out of court in 2022 for an undisclosed sum, without admitting liability. Giuffre died by suicide a few years after filing the lawsuit.
Just days before the King’s formal announcement, on October 17, Prince Andrew had voluntarily relinquished the use of his Duke of York title and other honours, stating at the time: “I will therefore no longer use the title or the honours which have been conferred upon me. As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me.”
The King’s move—which effectively transitions Andrew from a royal figure to a private citizen known simply as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor—signals the monarchy’s intent to definitively distance the institution from the ongoing controversy.