Prince Andrew is to be stripped of his royal titles and will move out of his home at the Royal Lodge in Windsor, Buckingham Palace has announced. King Charles has initiated a formal process to remove the style, titles and honours of Prince Andrew, who will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. The palace said the king had the support of the Prince of Wales, and Andrew did not object to the decision.
The move follows ongoing reputational concerns for the monarchy due to Andrew's association with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and allegations of sexual assault from Virginia Giuffre, who died in April. Giuffre claimed in her posthumous memoir that the prince believed having sex with her was his birthright. Andrew has consistently denied the allegations and settled a civil case with Giuffre for £12 million without admitting liability.
Buckingham Palace stated that formal notice has been served to surrender the lease on Royal Lodge, and Andrew will move to alternative private accommodation on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, funded privately by the king. His ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, will also leave Royal Lodge and arrange her own living situation. The removal process affects his titles of Prince, Duke of York, Earl of Inverness, Baron Killyleagh, and the style His Royal Highness, as well as his honours including the Order of the Garter and Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order.
The king acted now due to serious lapses of judgment, despite Andrew's continued denials. The government supports the decision, and the dukedom of York will be removed from the peerage roll through royal warrants to the lord chancellor. Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie retain their titles as per King George V's letters patent. Giuffre's family declared that she had "brought down a British prince with her truth and extraordinary courage."
