King Charles has decided to remove his younger brother Andrew from his royal residence and strip him of his remaining titles and honours due to his association with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The palace has officially served Andrew with a notice to surrender the lease of his mansion, known as Royal Lodge, and relocate to private accommodation. Going forward, Andrew will be referred to as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor rather than a prince.
The pressure had been mounting on the palace to take action against Andrew after he gave up his Duke of York title earlier in the month following allegations related to Epstein and Virginia Roberts Giuffre. In a rare move, King Charles has also revoked Andrew’s prince title, which he held since birth as a child of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
The palace emphasized that despite Andrew’s denial of the allegations against him, the decision was necessary to show support for the victims of abuse. This significant action is nearly unprecedented in British royal history, with the last similar instance occurring in 1919.
The news of Andrew’s removal from Royal Lodge broke during a broadcast of the BBC’s Question Time, where the audience applauded the decision. This move comes amidst ongoing public scrutiny surrounding Andrew’s ties to Epstein, including recent revelations from Giuffre’s memoir detailing alleged encounters with Andrew when she was a teenager.
Despite these developments, Andrew remains eighth in line to the throne and could only be excluded from the line of succession through parliamentary action. His daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, will retain their titles due to their lineage.
Andrew will now relocate to the King’s Sandringham estate with the financial support of his brother. This transition marks a significant shift in Andrew’s royal status and living arrangements, signaling a proactive approach by King Charles to address the ongoing controversies surrounding his brother.