It's over. Charles III officially stripped his brother Andrew of his title as prince

King Charles III officially stripped his brother Andrew Mountbatten Windsor of the title of His Royal Highness and Duke of York, the BBC reported on Thursday. This is confirmed by information published in The Gazette, the official British public register existing since 1665.

The published entry reads: “The King has welcomed Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the Realm dated 3 November 2025, announcing that Andrew Mountbatten Windsor will no longer be entitled to hold or enjoy the title, attribute of 'His Royal Highness' or the titular dignity of 'Prince'.” The Great Seal of the Kingdom is a wax seal used to confirm the monarch's acceptance of important state documents.

The publication of this information in The Gazette means that the decision announced last week by the British monarch to strip Andrew of his titles has formally come into force.

The king made the decision after months of pressure over his brother's links to American sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. This decision was made shortly after the publication of the posthumous memoirs of Virginia Giuffre, who claimed that at the age of 17 she was forced to have sexual contact with Andrzej. The son of Queen Elizabeth II never admitted to the crimes he was accused of.

On Wednesday, Buckingham Palace confirmed that while Andrew would also lose his honorary rank of vice-admiral, Charles III had agreed to allow him to retain the South Atlantic Medal for his naval service during the Falklands War in 1982. The royal served in the Royal Navy for 22 years.

Last week, Buckingham Palace announced that Andrew would leave his home at the Royal Lodge in Windsor and move to Sandringham House.

The king's brother resigned from public duties in 2019 after an interview in which he talked about his friendship with Epstein. In October this year, he renounced his royal titles, including that of Duke of York, after further accusations emerged about his private life.

The palace said the former prince had agreed to leave the Royal Box as his links to Epstein remain controversial.

The BBC reported that Andrew did not oppose the king's decision to strip him of his titles.

From London Marta Zabłocka (PAP)

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