ALBAWABA- Buckingham Palace announced Thursday that Prince Andrew has been formally stripped of all remaining royal titles and privileges, including his “His Royal Highness” (HRH) style and the Dukedom of York, and ordered to vacate his Royal Lodge residence by the end of the year.
The decision marks the monarchy’s most definitive break with the disgraced royal amid a fresh wave of scrutiny over his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Once third in line to the throne, the 65-year-old will now be known simply as Mr. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, losing access to taxpayer-funded security and other benefits traditionally afforded to senior royals. Palace officials described the move as part of King Charles III’s effort to modernize and restore public trust in the monarchy.
The announcement follows the release of unsealed court documents and emails last week suggesting Andrew maintained contact with Epstein even after the financier’s 2019 arrest.
The revelations reignited public outrage and prompted calls for accountability, with a YouGov poll showing 80% of Britons favoring the complete withdrawal of Andrew’s royal privileges.
Andrew has faced years of fallout from his association with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, particularly following allegations by Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of sexually abusing her when she was 17.
He denied the claims but settled the case in 2022 for £12 million without admitting liability. His disastrous BBC Newsnight interview, in which he famously claimed he could not sweat, cemented his isolation within the royal family.
According to palace sources, King Charles’s decision came after “months of fruitless discussions.” Andrew will be required to fund his own £3 million annual security costs and vacate the 30-room Windsor estate he has shared with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson since 2002.
