King Charles III has stripped Prince Andrew of all royal titles and ordered him to leave the Royal Lodge on the Windsor Estate, Reuters reported, citing a statement by Buckingham Palace. This move is intended to distance the royal family from the controversies associated with Andrew’s alleged past connections to the infamous sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and accusations made by Virginia Giuffre.
Andrew, who is 65, will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and is no longer considered a working royal or a titled member of the royal family. He is expected to relocate to a private home on the Sandringham Estate. The palace called these steps necessary and expressed sympathy for victims and survivors of abuse.
Andrew stopped performing royal duties in 2019 and lost his military roles and patronages in 2022. Building on these previous measures, this latest decision, which senior royals reportedly support, is one of the most decisive actions taken against a royal in many years.
Among «working royals,» who are members of the British royal family performing official duties and public engagements on behalf of the monarch, are the closest relatives of King Charles III, including Prince William and Princess Kate. Even though Prince Harry and his wife Meghan stopped being working royals in 2020, the prince has still played a vital role in supporting charitable initiatives in the U.K.
