In a definitive move to distance the monarchy from scandal, King Charles III has officially removed his brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, from two of Britain's most prestigious orders of chivalry.
The King's Directive: Titles 'Cancelled and Annulled'
Charles directed that Andrew's appointments should be "cancelled and annulled" and his name "erased" from the historic orders' registers. This formal action was confirmed in an entry published in The Gazette, the UK's official public record, on Monday 1 December 2025.
The entry, listed under the Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood, specified two honours were being revoked. The first was Andrew's appointment as a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, dated 23 April 2006. The second was his appointment as a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, dated 19 February 2011. Both honours were originally bestowed by his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II.
A Pattern of Removal Following Epstein Scandal
This latest stripping of honours continues a pattern of actions taken by the King against his brother. Andrew has already been stripped of his birthright to be a prince and use the style HRH. His Duke of York title was also removed from the Roll of the Peerage by Charles, citing the former royal's "serious lapses of judgment" concerning his friendship with the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
The former duke has for years faced serious allegations, which he strenuously denies, that he sexually assaulted a teenage Virginia Giuffre after she was trafficked by Epstein. In 2022, Andrew paid millions to Ms Giuffre to settle a civil sexual assault claim out of court.
While he stepped back from public duties in 2019 following a disastrous BBC Newsnight interview, recent events have kept him in the spotlight. The publication of Ms Giuffre's posthumous memoirs and the US government's release of documents from Epstein's estate have renewed focus on Andrew's associations. Furthermore, American politicians have criticised him for missing a deadline to respond to a request for an interview about Epstein.
The Significance of the Lost Honours and Future Exile
The revoked honours are among the highest the monarch can bestow. The Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the country's oldest and most senior Order of Chivalry, awarded for outstanding public service. The Royal Victorian Order is in the sovereign's personal gift and recognises distinguished service to the monarch.
Despite this comprehensive removal of royal and military honours, Andrew retains the honorary rank of vice-admiral in the Royal Navy, a position the Government had previously pledged to review.
Completing his effective exile from royal life, Andrew is set to move from his home at Royal Lodge in Windsor to the King's private Sandringham estate in Norfolk at some point in the new year. This relocation marks the final step in his removal from the centre of the monarchy's public-facing work.
