King Charles strips Prince Andrew of royal titles, and orders him out of Windsor residence
King Charles III has stripped his younger brother, Prince Andrew, of all his royal titles and ordered him to vacate his long-term residence on the Windsor estate, Buckingham Palace announced on Thursday.
The move marks the latest fallout in the ongoing scandal linked to the late US financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
According to the palace statement, the Duke of York will now be known simply as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, as the King has begun the formal process to remove his brother’s remaining titles. Andrew has also been instructed to relocate from his home on the grounds of Windsor Castle to “alternative private accommodation” as soon as possible.
The announcement follows renewed outrage after Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein’s main accusers, reiterated in a posthumous memoir that she was trafficked to have sex with Andrew three times, including twice when she was 17.
“These censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him,” the palace said. “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.”
Sources indicate that Prince Andrew did not oppose the King’s decision, and that the UK government was consulted before the announcement.
Giuffre, 41, died by suicide in April, while Epstein took his own life in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
