King Charles Strips Prince Andrew of All Titles and Orders Him to Leave Royal Lodge
King Charles has formally removed Prince Andrew’s royal titles and ordered him to leave his Windsor residence, Royal Lodge, in what Buckingham Palace described as “censures” following years of controversy over Andrew’s ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In a statement released Thursday evening, the Palace said: “His Majesty has today initiated a formal process to remove the style, titles and honours of Prince Andrew.” From now on, he will be known simply as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor.
Andrew’s titles — including Duke of York, Earl of Inverness, Baron Killyleagh, and the honours of the Order of the Garter and Knight Grand Cross of the Victorian Order — will all be revoked through royal warrant. His name has already been removed from the official roll of the peerage.
This is the toughest action the King has taken against his younger brother since their mother the late Queen Elizabeth II’s death in 2022. A Palace insider said the King acted after what were described as Andrew’s “serious lapses of judgment.” The decision reportedly has full backing from the government and senior members of the royal family, including Prince William.
Andrew to leave Royal Lodge
Andrew will surrender his lease on the 30-room Royal Lodge, where he has lived rent-free for two decades after paying £8.5 million in upfront fees and renovations. The Palace confirmed that “formal notice has now been served to surrender the lease” and that Andrew will “move to alternative private accommodation” on the King’s Sandringham estate in Norfolk. His new home will be privately funded by the monarch.
Though Andrew continues to deny the allegations against him, the Palace said the censures were “deemed necessary” and emphasized: “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.”
Decision follows continued links to Epstein
The decision follows renewed scrutiny of Andrew’s friendship with Jeffrey Epstein and the publication of a memoir by Virginia Giuffre, who accused Andrew of sexual abuse when she was 17. Her family said she had “brought down a British prince with her truth and extraordinary courage.” Her brother, Sky Roberts, told the BBC: “We need to take it one more step further — he needs to be behind bars, period.”
A Palace source said the King “was determined to do the right thing, not the rushed thing,” noting that the decision had been delayed by constitutional hurdles.
What about Andrew’s family’s titles?
Andrew remains eighth in line to the throne and a counsellor of state, though non-working royals are not permitted to act in that capacity. His daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, will retain their titles. As for Andrew’s former wife, Sarah Ferguson, she will be allowed to live with him at Sandringham, though she is reportedly unlikely to do so, ending decades of unconventional cohabitation since their divorce in 1996.
How has the government reacted?
Political figures across parties have praised the King’s decision. Trade minister Chris Bryant said “the vast majority” of people agree that Andrew “doesn’t deserve any of these titles,” while Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey called it “an important step towards rebuilding trust in our institutions.” Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative Party leader, told LBC: “It must have been a very difficult thing for [Charles] to have done. I mean, having to do that to your own brother. But the standards and expectations in society now are very high.”
As Buckingham Palace moves to finalize the paperwork, one thing is certain — Andrew Mountbatten Windsor’s days as a royal are officially over.
