Britain’s Prince Andrew, the second son of the late Queen Elizabeth II, will have his royal titles formally removed and is set to vacate his residence at the Royal Lodge in Windsor, Buckingham Palace confirmed on Thursday, October 30.
The development comes as the embattled royal faces renewed scrutiny over his ties to late convicted s£x offender Jeffrey Epstein.
In an official statement, Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles has “initiated a formal process to remove the Style, Titles and Honours” of his younger brother.
“Prince Andrew will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor,” the palace said.
The move marks a significant escalation from an earlier decision that saw him stop using some of his titles, including Duke of York.
According to the statement, the “censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him.”
The Palace added:
“Their Majesties [King Charles and Queen Camilla] 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.”
Buckingham Palace further revealed that a formal notice has been served for Andrew to vacate his residence at Royal Lodge, the 30-room mansion near Windsor Castle.
The announcement follows revelations that Andrew had been paying a nominal rent of ‘one peppercorn (if demanded) per annum’ for the Crown Estate property, despite stepping back from public duties six years ago—a detail unearthed through a Freedom of Information request by The Times.
“His lease on Royal Lodge has, to date, provided him with legal protection to continue in residence. Formal notice has now been served to surrender the lease, and he will move to alternative private accommodation,” the statement added.
Prince Andrew is expected to relocate to a property on the royal family’s Sandringham estate, while his daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, will retain their titles.
In a statement issued two weeks earlier, Andrew referenced the “continued accusations” against him, saying they “distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family.”
“As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me,” he stated.
The controversy has deepened following the publication of Virginia Roberts Giuffre’s posthumous memoir, which detailed her allegations against Andrew.
Giuffre, who died in April, alleged that she was trafficked by Epstein and forced to have sex with Andrew on multiple occasions when she was 17.
Although Andrew reached a legal settlement with Giuffre in 2022 for an undisclosed sum, he has consistently denied meeting her and disputed the authenticity of a widely circulated photograph showing them together.
