King Charles III has officially stripped his younger brother, Prince Andrew, of all remaining royal titles and honours, ordering him to vacate his royal residence amid renewed controversy over his links to late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Buckingham Palace confirmed on Thursday that the king had “initiated a formal process to remove the Style, Titles and Honours of Prince Andrew.” It marks the first time in more than a century that a British royal has faced such a measure.
Following the decision, Andrew will now be known simply as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. He has also been instructed to leave the Royal Lodge, his long-time residence, and relocate to private accommodation on the Sandringham estate.
The move comes after mounting public and political pressure, following new evidence suggesting Andrew maintained contact with Epstein longer than he had previously admitted.
The controversy resurfaced with the release of Nobody’s Girl, a memoir by Virginia Roberts Giuffre — one of Epstein’s victims — who had accused Andrew of sexually abusing her when she was 17.
Giuffre passed away in April, but she had earlier reached a multimillion-pound settlement with Andrew in 2022, which involved no admission of guilt.
In a statement, Buckingham Palace said the king’s decision reflected “serious lapses of judgment,” adding that “Their Majesties’ sympathies remain with victims and survivors of all forms of abuse.”
Reacting to the announcement, Giuffre’s brother, Skye Roberts, said, “An ordinary American girl brought down a British prince with her truth and extraordinary courage.”
Earlier in October, Andrew, 65, relinquished his title as Duke of York. He will now also lose all remaining honours, including the prestigious Order of the Garter and Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order.
