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 king had the support of the Prince of Wales and Andrew did not object.
The decision follows anxiety about the reputational risk to the monarchy due to Andrew's friendship with the late child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and allegations of sexual assault by Virginia Giuffre. In her posthumous memoir, Giuffre claimed the prince believed having sex with her was his birthright.
Andrew has always denied the claims and settled a civil case for £12m with no admission of liability. Giuffre's family said she had brought down a British prince with her truth.
Formal notice has been served to surrender the lease on Royal Lodge. Andrew will move to a property on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, privately funded by the king. His ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, will also leave Royal Lodge.
The removal applies to the titles of Prince, Duke of York, Earl of Inverness, Baron Killyleagh and the style HRH, as well as his knighthoods. The government supports the decision.
