King Charles is to strip all remaining titles from Prince Andrew and will evict him from the Royal Lodge as his brother’s links to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein continue to embarrass the monarchy.
In a bombshell announcement, Buckingham Palace said Andrew was given notice on Thursday to leave the 30-room mansion and he will in future be known simply as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, effectively living as a commoner.
It is understood Andrew will now live on the Sandringham estate at the King’s expense, while ex-wife Sarah Ferguson will also move out and sort her own living arrangements.
Palace officials had hoped that forcing Andrew to relinquish his Duke of York title would draw a line under the furore, but with MPs demanding answers into the peppercorn rent paid at the Windsor estate, the King acted to end the saga.
It is understood that although Andrew denies the recent Epstein accusations, Buckingham Palace considers that there have been “serious lapses of judgement”.
In a statement, the palace said: “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.”
The statement 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.”
It is understood that although the King initiated the process of formally removing his titles and honours, Andrew did not object to it.
The Prince of Wales is also understood to be supportive of the King's decision, as is the wider royal family. William was put in an untenable position when he appeared to be ambushed by Andrew during the Duchess of Kent's recent funeral, with the disgraced royal trying to talk to his nephew, who barely acknowledged him.
Andrew’s move to an undisclosed property on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk will take place as soon as practicable, it is understood.
Andrew faced a new round of public opprobrium after emails emerged earlier this month showing he had remained in contact with Epstein longer than he had previously admitted.
That news was followed by the publication of a posthumous memoir by Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre, who alleged she had sex with Andrew when she was 17. It detailed three alleged sexual encounters with Andrew, who she said acted as if he believed “having sex with me was his birthright”.
The family of Ms Giuffre, who died by suicide in April, 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 from Ms Giuffre’s family, 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, 65, has long denied Giuffre's claims, but stepped down from royal duties after a disastrous November 2019 BBC Newsnight interview in which he attempted to rebut her allegations.
He paid millions in an out-of-court settlement in 2022 after Giuffre filed a civil suit against him in New York. While he didn't admit wrongdoing, he acknowledged Giuffre's suffering as a victim of sex trafficking. Giuffre died by suicide in April at the age of 41.
Her family said in a statement that “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.”
Giuffre’s brother commended the King for "setting a precedent" but said "we need to take it one more step further". Speaking to BBC Newsnight, Sky Roberts thanked Charles for the Buckingham Palace statement that mentioned "thoughts and utmost sympathies" with "victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse".
Mr Roberts said: “But it’s not enough, it’s not enough, we have to have some sort of investigation that goes further into this. I mean he’s [Andrew] still walking around a free man.
“I commend the King, I think he’s doing an amazing job as a world leader, setting a precedent, but we need to take it one more step further: he [Andrew] needs to be behind bars, period.”
Sigrid McCawley, a lawyer for Giuffre during her civil sex assault case against Prince Andrew, said the King stripping Andrew's titles was a "tipping point".
She said: "The voice of Virginia Giuffre has changed history. Her bravery, determination and resilient spirit has led to this defining moment.
"As we account for the tipping point significance of the King stripping the title "Prince" from his brother Andrew, it should be a lesson for all to listen, hear and believe survivors of abuse."
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said Charles "is absolutely right" to do so. He added: "It's clear that Andrew's position had become totally untenable, having disgraced his office and embarrassed the country.
"This is an important step towards rebuilding trust in our institutions and drawing a line under this whole sorry saga."
The Lib Dems had urged the government to make time for a debate on Andrew's Royal Lodge lease in parliament.
He has lived there on a peppercorn rent since 2003, although he paid £1m for the lease and a further £7.5m for refurbishments.
But Downing Street last week said MPs would not be given time in the House of Commons to discuss his conduct because the royal family wanted parliament to focus on "important issues".
Speaking on an LBC Radio phone-in Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said: "I've been following this story more about a family. It's a very sad state of affairs. I think that the King has clearly felt that this is the right decision for the royal family. It must have been a very difficult thing for him to have done. I mean, having to do that to your own brother.
"But the standards and expectations in society now are very high. People expect to see the very highest levels of integrity.”
The leader of the Scottish National Party in Westminster, Stephen Flynn, said on X: "The right decision and an important moment for the victims of Epstein.
"I hope all those who were elected to parliament and chose to defend inaction rather than speak out now regret the choice they made."
The SNP had put forward a motion to create a new law to formally strip Andrew of his dukedom.
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