Royal Website Finally Reflects Andrew's Diminished Status
The official Royal Family website has at last been updated to reflect the dramatic fall from grace of the King's brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. The crucial 'line of succession' page, which had lagged behind other changes, now lists him simply as 'Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor', stripping him of the royal titles he held for decades. This digital amendment marks the final step in a public and painful separation from his former life as a working royal, a process triggered by his association with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
A Timeline of a Title's Demise
The sequence of events that led to this online update was both swift and severe. On October 17, Buckingham Palace announced that Andrew would be stripped of his remaining military affiliations and royal patronages, including his prestigious title of Duke of York. This was followed by an announcement on October 30 that he would also lose his 'Prince' title, a move that became official on November 7 when the King formally removed his HRH style.
While his general profile page on royal.uk was taken down at the start of November—now displaying a 'page not found' error—the line of succession section curiously retained his old designation for several more weeks. He remains eighth in line to the throne, positioned behind Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet of Sussex, but the honorific 'The Duke of York' has now been permanently erased.
Mounting Pressure from Across the Atlantic
This administrative clean-up occurs against a backdrop of continued international pressure. A recent poll indicated that three quarters of Britons believe Andrew should provide evidence to the US Congress regarding his links to the late financier and convicted paedophile, Jeffrey Epstein.
American legislators have openly criticised the 65-year-old for 'hiding' after he ignored a formal request for a transcribed interview. A letter signed by 16 members of Congress was sent to Andrew on November 6, urging his cooperation with the House Oversight Committee's investigation into Epstein's extensive sex trafficking network. The politicians cited financial records containing alarming notations such as 'massage for Andrew' which, they stated, 'raise serious questions'.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer waded into the debate, suggesting that 'if you have relevant information you should be prepared to share it', after Andrew missed the committee's November 20 response deadline. The scandal was further fuelled by the publication of posthumous memoirs by Andrew's accuser, Virginia Giuffre, who has long alleged that the royal sexually assaulted her when she was a teenager trafficked by Epstein. Andrew has strenuously denied all accusations.
Even the specifics of his new name caused confusion. Initially announced as 'Andrew Mountbatten Windsor' without a hyphen on October 30, this contradicted the 1960 decree by his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, which established 'Mountbatten-Windsor' as the official surname for her descendants. After examining the original Privy Council declaration, palace sources confirmed on November 12 that the hyphen would be reinstated, leading to the name now displayed on the website.
