King Charles III has taken the decisive step of formally stripping his brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, of his two remaining royal honours. The monarch directed that the Duke of York's appointments to the Most Noble Order of the Garter and the Royal Victorian Order be "cancelled and annulled".
Official Cancellation in The Gazette
The historic move was confirmed in an official notice published in The Gazette, the UK's public record, on Monday 1 December 2025. The entry from the Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood stated the King had ordered Andrew's name to be erased from the registers of both orders.
It specified that his appointment as a Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter, dated 23 April 2006, and his appointment as a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, dated 19 February 2011, were both revoked. These honours were originally bestowed by his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II.
A Long Fall from Grace
This action represents the latest and most symbolic step in Andrew's removal from royal life, following years of scandal linked to his association with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The King had previously stripped Andrew of his military affiliations and his HRH style in 2022.
He also removed Andrew's Duke of York title from the Roll of the Peerage, citing the former prince's "serious lapses of judgment". Andrew has consistently denied allegations that he sexually assaulted Virginia Giuffre when she was a teenager, claims which emerged from her being trafficked by Epstein.
However, he settled a civil sexual assault case with Ms Giuffre in 2022 for a reported multimillion-pound sum. His position became untenable after a widely criticised BBC Newsnight interview in 2019, which led to his stepping back from public duties.
The Significance of the Lost Honours
The removal of these specific honours carries profound weight within the royal system. The Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the oldest and most senior Order of Chivalry in Britain. Membership is a personal gift of the sovereign, awarded for exceptional public service.
Similarly, the Royal Victorian Order is in the monarch's personal gift and recognises distinguished service to the Crown. For Andrew's name to be erased from their registers is an unprecedented modern sanction for a senior royal.
Despite this, Andrew retains the honorary rank of vice-admiral in the Royal Navy, despite a government pledge to review it. His future residence is also set to change, as he is expected to move from Royal Lodge in Windsor to a property on the King's private Sandringham estate in Norfolk in the new year.
The announcement comes amid renewed scrutiny following the publication of Virginia Giuffre's memoirs and the release of documents from Epstein's estate. It underscores the monarchy's continued effort to distance the institution from the long-running scandal.
