In an unprecedented move, King Charles III has formally stripped his brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, of his last remaining royal titles, effectively rendering the former Duke of York a commoner. The historic decision, announced in the official public record, The Gazette, at midday today, marks the culmination of a dramatic fall from grace for the King's younger sibling.
The Final Stripping of Royal Honours
The official notice confirms that the King has directed the cancellation and annulment of two key appointments. Andrew's membership of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, dated 23 April 2006, has been cancelled, with his name erased from the Order's register. Furthermore, his appointment as a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, dated 19 February 2011, has also been annulled. This action provides formal confirmation of the decision taken by King Charles and Prince William to remove Andrew from royal life, which also included taking down his coat of arms from St George’s Chapel at Windsor.
Despite this seismic shift, Andrew retains one title for now: he remains a vice-admiral in the Royal Navy. However, defence chiefs have reportedly been instructed to "get on with it" and strip him of that final military honour.
New Epstein Allegations Emerge
The stripping of titles comes amid shocking new allegations concerning Andrew's relationship with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. According to a report in The Mail on Sunday, an unnamed actress has claimed that Andrew introduced her to Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell at Windsor Castle in October 1999.
The woman, who received a financial payout as one of Epstein's victims in June, alleges through her lawyer, Perry Wander, that Andrew encouraged her to spend time with the financier, including on his private jet. She claims she was later sexually abused by Epstein. Crucially, she states that she confided in Andrew in early 2000 about Epstein's "inappropriate" behaviour. Andrew allegedly replied that he "wasn't surprised" because someone else had made a similar complaint.
This alleged warning came more than a year before Epstein trafficked 17-year-old Virginia Giuffre to London to meet Andrew. Ms Giuffre, who died earlier this year, had accused Andrew of sexual assault, allegations he has repeatedly denied. These new claims represent the first time Andrew has been accused of introducing a woman to Epstein and will intensify calls for him to give evidence to the US Congress.
A Temporary Reprieve at Royal Lodge
Despite his formal exile from royal status, Andrew has been granted a brief stay of execution regarding his housing situation. It has been revealed that he will spend one last Christmas at his Royal Lodge home in Windsor. This means his anticipated permanent move to the Sandringham estate, seen as a form of internal exile, will be delayed until well into the New Year.
The latest allegations are said to have sent shockwaves through the Royal Family, compounding the damage from a leaked email published last month which proved Andrew lied in his BBC Newsnight interview about his contact with Epstein after 2010. With his royal titles now completely revoked and facing a fresh wave of serious accusations, the future for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor appears increasingly isolated.
