King Charles has officially stripped his younger brother, Prince Andrew, of his royal title and ordered him to vacate his longtime residence at Royal Lodge, Windsor.
The move follows renewed scrutiny over Andrew’s ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Buckingham Palace confirmed in a statement that Andrew, 65, will no longer be referred to as “Prince” and will be leaving his 30-bedroom home on the grounds of Windsor Castle.
The Palace stated the “censures [were] deemed necessary” amid ongoing fallout from the Epstein scandal.
The decision means Andrew now holds the name Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
He is expected to relocate to a smaller private property on the King’s Sandringham Estate in Norfolk.
Royal sources said the monarch’s move has the full support of Prince William and other members of the Royal Family.
The Palace’s announcement came after correspondence surfaced between Andrew and Epstein, in which the former Duke told the financier, “we are in this together.”
The email exchange was revealed shortly after the release of a photograph showing Andrew alongside Epstein’s alleged victim, Virginia Giuffre.
Andrew’s decision to relinquish his lease at Royal Lodge ends more than two decades of residence there with his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson.
The former Duchess of York will not be moving with him, with royal sources saying she “will make her own arrangements.”
It is understood that King Charles has begun the formal process of removing Andrew’s remaining titles and honors.
The Lord Chancellor is expected to receive royal warrants confirming the revocation.
Andrew has reportedly not contested the decision.
The Daily Mail reported that Annie Farmer, one of Epstein’s earliest accusers, told the BBC that Giuffre “showed the world that even the most powerful predators can be held accountable.”
Giuffre’s family also issued a statement celebrating the King’s action, calling it a victory for survivors of sexual abuse.
Royal historian Andrew Lownie told The Mirror that he believes this will not be the end of Andrew’s troubles.
“I don’t think it’s the end of it,” Lownie said.
“There are many more disclosures to come, but at least they’re taking some decisive action.” He added that the Royal Family appeared to be “throwing Andrew under the bus to save themselves.”
The latest developments follow the release of Giuffre’s posthumous memoir, Nobody’s Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice.
The 400-page book was completed before her death at age 41. In it, Giuffre described being trafficked by Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, and alleged she was abused by Andrew on multiple occasions.
Andrew has consistently denied the allegations.
In 2022, he settled a U.S. civil case brought by Giuffre for a reported £12 million.
The settlement came without any admission of liability.
Reports suggested that Queen Elizabeth II contributed financially to the agreement.
Following the Palace’s decision, anti-monarchy campaign group Republic said it has instructed lawyers to pursue a private prosecution against Andrew for alleged sexual assault, corruption and misconduct in public office.
The group’s CEO, Graham Smith, said, “It should be a cause for concern that so many people believe – rightly in my view – that the royals are not treated equally in law.”
Republic’s statement added that the group intends to “press ahead with legal proceedings” unless law enforcement acts.
A private prosecution would not involve the Crown Prosecution Service unless taken over by government prosecutors, per the Daily Mail.
