King Charles stripped his brother of his princely title. Andrew will also have to leave the Windsor residence
Prince Andrew, brother of King Charles III Photo: Zak Hussein / SplashNews.com / Splash / Profimedia
Britain's King Charles III stripped his younger brother Andrew of his princely title and ordered his departure from Windsor Castle because of his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Reuters reports, citing a statement from Buckingham Palace.
Andrew, 65, Queen Elizabeth II's second son, is facing increasing pressure over his links to Epstein and earlier this month was forced to give up using the Duke of York title. Now King Charles has stripped him of his peerage, leaving him with the name Andrew Mountbatten Windsor.
“Measures Necessary”
The statement from Buckingham Palace states that Andrew has been notified to give up his lease at Windsor, west London, and move to a private residence in the east of England.
“These reprimands are deemed necessary, although he continues to deny the allegations against him. Their Majesties wish to be clear that their thoughts and sympathies have been and will remain with the victims and survivors of any form of abuse,” the quoted source said.
A palace source said that although Andrew continues to deny the allegations against him, it is clear that there have been serious errors of judgment on his part. The decision to withdraw the titles was taken by Charles III, but the monarch had the support of the family, including that of Crown Prince William.
In recent weeks, British newspapers have focused attention on the prince's finances after The Times reported that he had paid no rent on the 30-room residence for the past two decades, but funded £7.5m of works when he moved out.
A British parliamentary committee examined whether Andrew should continue to live in the residence.
New allegations regarding relationship with Epstein
The Metropolitan Police in Great Britain said on October 19 that they are “actively” investigating media reports that Prince Andrew may have tried to obtain personal information about his accuser, Virginia Giuffre, through the police officers who provide her protection, according to the BBC.
“We are aware of the information that has appeared in the press and we are actively investigating the allegations,” the Metropolitan Police said on Sunday, after several British publications wrote that Prince Andrew “tried to find compromising information” about Virginia Giuffre, the woman who accused the son of Queen Elizabeth II of sexual assault.
Virginia Giuffre claimed she was among the girls and young women sexually exploited by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his circle of wealthy friends, including Prince Andrew, whom she sued in 2021.
Giuffre, who committed suicide in early 2025, claimed she was forced to have sex with Andrew on three occasions, including when she was 17 at his friend Ghislaine Maxwell's London residence in 2001. The prince has consistently denied the allegations, and he and Giuffre reached an undisclosed settlement in 2022.
