In one of the most dramatic royal reckonings in modern history, Britain’s Prince Andrew has been formally stripped of his royal titles and ordered to vacate his home in Windsor, Buckingham Palace confirmed overnight.
The move marks the culmination of years of mounting pressure over Andrew’s ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and allegations brought by Epstein survivor Virginia Roberts Giuffre.
In a stark statement released late Thursday, Buckingham Palace said King Charles III had “initiated a formal process to remove the Style, Titles and Honours of Prince Andrew”, adding that the King’s younger brother “will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor”.
The statement continued: “His lease on Royal Lodge has, to date, provided him with legal protection to continue in residence. Formal notice has now been served to surrender the lease and he will move to alternative private accommodation.”
The censure, the harshest yet faced by a senior royal since the abdication crisis of 1936, underscores a royal family seeking distance from the long-running scandal that has dogged Andrew for years.
Buckingham Palace added: “Their Majesties wish to make clear that their thoughts and utmost sympathies have been, and will remain with, the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse.”
The announcement comes days after The Times revealed that Andrew had been paying a symbolic rent of “one peppercorn (if demanded) per annum” to live in the 30-room Royal Lodge on the Crown Estate, despite having stepped back from public duties in 2019. The disclosure prompted widespread public outrage and renewed scrutiny of the disgraced royal’s finances.
Royal Lodge, a stately mansion once home to the Queen Mother, has been Andrew’s residence since 2004. Legal documents obtained by The Times show he paid £1 million for the lease and spent £7.5 million on renovations – figures that have fuelled debate about his ongoing privileges despite his fall from grace.
Andrew, 65, has repeatedly denied allegations that he sexually abused Giuffre when she was a minor, and in Thursday’s statement, the palace reiterated that “he continues to deny the allegations against him”.
The timing of the King’s decision is seen as significant. It follows Monday’s publication of Giuffre’s posthumous memoir, in which she detailed her alleged encounters with the prince, including what she described as an “orgy” involving “eight other young girls”. Giuffre died by suicide in April, but her family has continued her campaign for accountability.
In a powerful statement, Giuffre’s relatives declared “victory” after the palace announcement.
“Today an ordinary American girl from an ordinary American family brought down a British prince with her truth and extraordinary courage,” they said. “Virginia Roberts Giuffre – our sister – never stopped fighting for accountability for what had happened to her and to countless other survivors like her. Today, she declares a victory.”
Andrew previously settled a civil lawsuit with Giuffre in 2022 for an undisclosed sum without admitting liability, saying at the time he “vigorously denied the accusations”.
Two weeks ago, Andrew issued a personal statement acknowledging the “continued accusations” that “distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family”. But the palace’s latest action suggests the King’s patience has run out.
For a man once celebrated as a decorated war hero and senior royal, the fall is almost Shakespearean in its scale. Andrew Mountbatten Windsor now faces a future outside the fold, stripped of status, titles and his royal home, and overshadowed by the scandal that has come to define him.
Images: Wikimedia Commons
