Britain's King Charles has taken the extraordinary step of stripping his brother Prince Andrew of his royal titles and evicting him from his residence on the Windsor estate, in a dramatic move to quell the scandal over Andrew's links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Buckingham Palace described the actions as 'necessary censures,' marking the deepest split in the British royal family in decades.
Andrew, 65, has faced years of controversy over his friendship with Epstein, which intensified after the release of a posthumous memoir by Virginia Giuffre, who alleged Andrew sexually assaulted her as a teenager. Giuffre died by suicide in April at age 41. Andrew has repeatedly denied all allegations. Giuffre's family said in a statement: 'Today, an ordinary American girl, from an ordinary American family, brought down a British prince with her truth and extraordinary courage.'
Buckingham Palace announced that Andrew will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. His lease on Royal Lodge has been terminated, and he will move to alternative private accommodation on the Sandringham estate, about 100 miles north of London, privately funded by King Charles. The palace stated the censures are deemed necessary despite Andrew's continued denial of the allegations, citing serious lapses of judgment.
Andrew is not expected to move until after the Christmas holidays, avoiding potential awkwardness as Sandringham is traditionally where the royal family gathers for the festive season. He had previously been excluded from Christmas celebrations. Public anger grew after it emerged that Andrew paid only $1 million for Royal Lodge in 2003 and a peppercorn rent since then, according to his lease agreement.
Despite the stripping of titles, Andrew remains eighth in line to the throne. Rather than formally remove his title as Duke of York via parliament, King Charles will send royal warrants to remove his peerages. The stripping of titles takes immediate effect, including his designations as Earl of Inverness, Baron Killyleagh, and knighthoods. The palace 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.'
