Prince Andrew will be stripped of all his titles and move out of Royal Lodge, Buckingham Palace has said.
“Prince Andrew will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor," the palace said in the statement.
It follows mounting pressure over a string of scandals, the most damaging being Andrew’s relationship with the paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein and alleged sexual abuse of Virginia Giuffre.
The statement in full from Buckingham Palace read: “His Majesty has today initiated a formal process to remove the Style, Titles and Honours of Prince Andrew.
“Prince Andrew will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. 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.
“These censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him.
“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.”
Andrew will move to a property on the Sandringham Estate, it is understood. Any future accommodation will be privately funded by the King.
The move will take place as soon as practicable and Andrew will receive an appropriate private provision from the King, it is understood.
Any other sources of income will be a matter for the former duke.
Andrew's relationship with convicted sex offender Epstein was thrust back into the spotlight earlier this month Andrew's links to Epstein have hit the headlines again in recent weeks, with the publication of his main accuser Ms Giuffre's posthumous memoirs, and the US government's release of documents from the paedophile's estate.
In her book Ms Giuffre repeated allegations that, as a teenager, she had sex with Prince Andrew on three separate occasions.
Her family said in a statement that "today, she declares a victory" and that she "brought down a British prince with her truth and extraordinary courage."
The statement, given to the BBC, read: "Today, an ordinary American girl from an ordinary American family brought down a British prince with her truth and extraordinary courage.
"Virginia Roberts Giuffre, our sister, a child when she was sexually assaulted by Andrew, never stopped fighting for accountability for what had happened to her and countless other survivors like her.
"Today, she declares a victory. We, her family, along with her survivor sisters, continue Virginia's battle and will not rest until the same accountability applies to all of her abusers and abetters, connected to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell."
Andrew had attempted to draw a line under years of controversy, following allegations he sexually abused Ms Giuffre, by giving up his dukedom earlier this month and other honours ahead of the publication of Giuffre’s posthumous memoirs.
But the prince, who strenuously denies the allegations, was instead swamped by criticism focused on the 30 bedroom Royal Lodge, in the grounds of Windsor Castle, he has lived in effectively rent-free since 2003.
And pressure continued to mount this week as it merged he had hosted notorious paedophile Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell and Harvey Weinstein there.
The King himself was heckled during a public visit to a cathedral by a a protester asking him about Andrew's relationship with Epstein.
It was reported last week that Andrew had been in advanced talks last week about him and his ex -wife , Sarah Ferguson, leaving Royal Lodge. But it appears the King has finally lost patience with his brother and taken decisive action.
Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice will retain their titles, as they are the daughters of the son of a Sovereign.
The co-author of Ms Giuffre’s posthumous memoirs said Andrew losing his titles would be seen as a victory by his accuser, who killed herself at her farm in Australia earlier this year.
Ms Giuffre alleged she was forced to have sex with Andrew three times - once at convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell's home in London, once in Epstein's address in Manhattan, and once on the disgraced financier's private island, Little St James.
The incident at Maxwell's home allegedly occurred when Ms Giuffre was 17 years old.
Andrew is accused of taking part in an orgy with "underage" girls, as well as Ms Giuffre, during the alleged incident on Little St James. He vehemently denies all allegations made against him.
Andrew’s accuser is said to have received up to £12 million in 2022 to settle her civil sexual assault case, despite the prince claiming never to have met her.
On Thursday campaign group Republic said it was actively investigating bringing a private prosecution against Andrew over allegations of sexual assault, corruption and misconduct in public office
The group said it is taking the unprecedented step of instructing a law firm to investigate and, if appropriate, commence court proceedings against the disgraced royal.
The Metropolitan Police previously said it was looking into claims Andrew passed Ms Giuffre’s date of birth and social security number to his taxpayer-funded bodyguard in 2011 and asked him to dig up dirt on her.
Historian Andrew Lownie, author of The Rise and Fall of the House of York, said Buckingham Palace were “finally getting ahead of the story”, but said of Andrew: “I don’t think it’s all over for him”, suggesting he could face charges.
“I’m not sure it will completely satisfy the public disquiet, but it’s at least something”, he said.
