In a dramatic move, King Charles III has officially removed all remaining royal titles, honors, and privileges from his younger brother, Prince Andrew. Furthermore, the Duke of York has been instructed to vacate his longtime residence, the Royal Lodge near Windsor Castle. From this point forward, he will be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, shedding his princely status.
This significant decision follows weeks of intensified public scrutiny and renewed controversy surrounding Prince Andrew’s enduring associations with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and the serious sexual abuse allegations leveled against him. The former Prince Andrew, second son of the late Queen Elizabeth II, had previously served for 22 years in the Royal Navy, including service as a helicopter pilot during the 1982 Falklands War. His military roles were suspended in 2019 when he stepped back from public duties.
The core of the controversy stems from Prince Andrew’s connections to Jeffrey Epstein and a civil sexual abuse lawsuit filed by Virginia Roberts Giuffre. Giuffre accused the prince of sexual assault on multiple occasions, including when she was a minor. While Andrew has consistently denied these allegations, he reached an out-of-court settlement with Giuffre in February 2022. Previously, in January 2022, his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, had already stripped him of his military titles and royal patronages. This latest decree from King Charles, which includes the directive to leave Royal Lodge, represents the most severe consequence yet, with Andrew also having relinquished the use of his Duke of York title earlier this month. He will be moved to private accommodation on the Sandringham Estate and will receive private financial support from the King. Buckingham Palace cited “serious lapses of judgment” as the reason for these measures.