In a move that has sent shockwaves through the United Kingdom and reverberated far beyond, King Charles III has stripped his younger brother, Prince Andrew, of all his remaining royal titles and honours, and ordered him to vacate his longtime residence at Royal Lodge. The decision, announced by Buckingham Palace on October 30, 2025, marks one of the most dramatic actions taken against a senior royal in more than a century, underscoring the gravity of the scandal that has dogged Andrew for years.
The palace’s statement was stark and unequivocal: “His Majesty has today initiated a formal process to remove the Style, Titles and Honours of Prince Andrew.” From now on, the man once known as the Duke of York will be referred to as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, losing his status as a prince, the style “His Royal Highness,” and other peerages such as Earl of Inverness and Baron Killyleagh. The move also strips him of prestigious honours, including the Order of the Garter and the Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, according to CNN and BBC.
For Andrew, 65, the consequences are not only symbolic but deeply personal. After more than two decades living at the sprawling, 30-room Royal Lodge within Windsor Great Park, he has been served notice to surrender his lease and will soon relocate to private accommodation on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, a property privately owned by King Charles. His ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, who has shared Royal Lodge with him for years, will also be moving out and making her own arrangements, as reported by NBC News.
This extraordinary step comes after weeks of mounting pressure on the palace to act, following renewed scrutiny of Andrew’s long-standing relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The scandal reignited after the publication of Nobody’s Girl, the posthumous memoir of Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who accused Andrew of sexually assaulting her as a teenager. Giuffre, who died by suicide in April at age 41, detailed in her book three alleged encounters with Andrew, describing how he acted as if “having sex with me was his birthright.” Andrew has consistently denied all allegations, maintaining, “I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady. None whatsoever,” as he stated in his infamous 2019 BBC Newsnight interview.
Despite his denials, Andrew paid a multimillion-dollar out-of-court settlement in 2022 after Giuffre filed a civil suit against him in New York, acknowledging her suffering as a victim of sex trafficking but admitting no wrongdoing. The controversy has simmered for 15 years, but recent developments—including the emergence of emails showing Andrew remained in contact with Epstein longer than previously admitted—proved too much for the monarchy to weather in silence.
The palace’s statement on October 30 emphasized the seriousness of the decision: “These censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him.” It 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 last time a British prince was stripped of his title was over a century ago, in 1919, when Prince Ernest Augustus lost his British title for siding with Germany during World War I. The current move, then, is almost without precedent in modern royal history. As BBC noted, the removal of Andrew’s titles and eviction from Royal Lodge represents a total severing of his royal privileges and connections, leaving him with only private financial support from his brother, the king.
Locals near Windsor expressed little sympathy for Andrew. In a nearby pub, one patron told BBC, “A long time coming. He deserves it. I can’t even look at him.” The sense of public anger was also stoked by revelations that Andrew had paid just £1 million for Royal Lodge in 2003 and enjoyed a lease requiring only a token “peppercorn rent,” fueling questions about how he funded his lifestyle after stepping down from royal duties in 2019.
Giuffre’s family, for their part, declared the palace’s action a victory. “Today, an ordinary American girl from an ordinary American family, brought down a British prince with her truth and extraordinary courage,” her brother Skye Roberts said in a statement. The family also vowed to continue seeking accountability for other associates of Epstein. “Our sister, a child when she was sexually assaulted by Andrew, never stopped fighting for accountability for what had happened to her and to countless other survivors like her. Today, she declares victory,” the family’s statement read, as quoted by CNN.
The anti-monarchy group Republic announced plans to launch a private prosecution against Andrew over accusations of sexual offenses and misconduct in public office. Graham Smith, the group’s chief executive, was blunt in his assessment: “Let’s be very clear, Prince Andrew – now Andrew Mountbatten Windsor – is not facing justice. He’s not being held to account. Losing silly titles is not an answer to very serious accusations of sexual offenses and corruption in public office.” Smith added, “This isn’t about William and Charles taking a tough line. It’s about William and Charles protecting their position by putting as much distance between them and Andrew as they can. We need to see Andrew face justice, because we need to know that the royals are not above the law.”
Despite the sweeping nature of the king’s decision, some aspects of Andrew’s royal legacy remain intact for now. He is still eighth in line to the British throne, a status that could only be removed by legislation with the consent of Commonwealth nations—a process that would take considerable time and international agreement. His daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, will retain their titles as children of a sovereign’s son, in line with rules set out by King George V in 1917. Meanwhile, the British government has signaled its support for the king’s actions, according to CNN.
The removal of Andrew’s titles also comes against a backdrop of broader royal family changes and challenges. Before her death in 2022, Queen Elizabeth II had already stripped Andrew of his military affiliations and royal patronages, making clear that he would not return to public duties. In the months leading up to the current decision, Andrew’s ex-wife Sarah Ferguson faced her own fallout, being dropped as a patron by a charity after resurfaced emails revealed her correspondence with Epstein.
With Andrew’s eviction and public disgrace, the monarchy has attempted to draw a line under a scandal that has threatened its reputation for years. Yet the question remains whether this decisive action will be enough to shield the royal family from further fallout. For now, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor’s royal chapter is closed, and the institution he once represented so visibly is left to reckon with the shadow cast by his actions and associations.
