Outlook Business Desk
King Charles III has taken the extraordinary decision to revoke Prince Andrew’s last remaining titles and honours while asking him to vacate his Royal Lodge home close to Windsor Castle.
Buckingham Palace said the decision came after mounting public and media pressure over Prince Andrew’s ongoing association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and renewed claims made by survivor Virginia Roberts Giuffre in her recently published memoir.
Following the royal decree, Prince Andrew will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, officially losing the title “Prince” and all privileges tied to his former royal identity, ending a major chapter in his life.
Buckingham Palace stated that the action was essential even though Prince Andrew continues to deny all allegations. It added that King Charles and Queen Camilla’s deepest sympathies remain with victims and survivors of abuse everywhere.
Public and media scrutiny of Prince Andrew grew sharper after he gave up the Duke of York title earlier this month, with increasing demands for his eviction from the Royal Lodge amid nationwide criticism.
Prince Andrew, 65, has repeatedly denied every allegation. But leaked correspondence indicating that his contact with Jeffrey Epstein lasted longer than acknowledged has fuelled fresh outrage and drawn renewed attention to his earlier connections.
The publication of Nobody’s Girl, Virginia Giuffre’s memoir, brought the issue back into focus. She alleged she was coerced into sexual encounters with Prince Andrew at 17, adding new weight to the ongoing scandal.
In a statement dated October 18, Prince Andrew said he had spoken with King Charles and other family members before deciding to withdraw permanently from public duties, pledging to stop using his royal titles while maintaining his denial of all allegations.
Jeffrey Epstein, a wealthy American financier, was also convicted in 2008 for child sex crimes and later re-arrested in 2019 for trafficking minors. His death in custody halted the trial, yet his connections with global elites, including Prince Andrew, remain under scrutiny.