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Britain’s King Charles has taken the extraordinary step of stripping his brother Andrew of his royal titles and starting proceedings to banish him from the royal estate of Windsor, in the most dramatic attempt yet to quell the scandal over the disgraced prince’s relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The move, harshly described by Buckingham Palace as a “necessary rebuke”, cemented the deepest division in Britain’s royal family in decades. The question here is whether King Charles and the British establishment did enough to prevent the relationship between Andrew and Epstein from implicating the monarchy.
Andrew, 65, has faced off-and-on controversy over his friendship with Epstein for 15 years, but the controversy reached new intensity after the release of a posthumous memoir by Virginia Giuffre, who claims Andrew sexually assaulted her as a teenager.
Prince Giuffre, who claims they never met, committed suicide in April at the age of 41. Prince Andrew has repeatedly denied all allegations against him.
“Today, an ordinary American girl from an ordinary American family defeated a British prince with truth and extraordinary courage,” Giuffre’s family said in a statement Thursday.
Giuffre’s brother Skye Roberts told CNN it was a “joyful, happy, sad day.”
Buckingham Palace said in a statement that Andrew would be forced to leave his home and take his last name. “Prince Andrew will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. The Royal Lodge lease has given him legal protection to continue to reside. A formal notice to abandon the lease has now been served and the Prince will move to alternative private accommodation,” the statement continued.
“These charges are considered necessary despite the fact that he continues to deny the charges against him.”
Andrew will move to the British monarch’s private estate at Sandringham Estate, about 160 miles north of London. Royal Lodge is located within Windsor Great Park, part of the Crown Estate, which manages royal lands and properties on behalf of the British state. Andrew’s new accommodation will be privately funded by King Charles.
The Palace is understood to have taken this action because, although it acknowledges that Mr Andrew continues to deny all allegations against him, it concluded that he had made a serious error in judgment.
A royal source said Andrew is not expected to move to Sandringham until after the Christmas holidays.
Sandringham is traditionally a gathering place for the royal family during the Christmas season, so moving in the new year may also avoid any potential awkwardness during the holidays. It was previously announced that Andrew would be excluded from the Christmas celebrations.
Mr Andrew sought to end new scrutiny of his conduct by relinquishing the use of the title earlier this month. But his move did little to stem the tide of negative headlines and raised new questions about how he was able to pay Giuffre a reported multi-million dollar settlement in a 2022 civil suit to fund his life despite not working for the royal family since 2019.
Public outrage was also fueled last week by revelations that he paid $1 million for the Royal Lodge in the heart of Windsor Great Park near Windsor Castle in 2003, according to his rental agreement, and has only paid peppercorn rent “on request” every year since then.
Despite Thursday’s announcement, Andrew remains eighth in line to the British throne. This status could be abolished by law, but that would require the consent of Commonwealth countries around the world and would take time. The last time this protocol was used was in 1936 when King Edward VIII abdicated.
CNN understands that King Charles will send a royal writ to strip Andrew of his title, rather than formally strip him of his title as Duke of York through an Act of Parliament.
Andrew was also known as Earl of Inverness and Baron Killyleagh, a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, and a Royal Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter. His title revocation is effective immediately.
Buckingham Palace added in a statement: “Their Royal Highnesses would like to make it clear that their thoughts and deepest sympathies remain with victims and survivors of all forms of abuse.”
In an interview with CNN’s Caitlan Collins, Sky Roberts said King Charles’ decision vindicated his sister’s years of campaigning. “She should be here. She should be having this interview with you,” he said.
“She fought for this for a long time. She always said… there’s only one of us who’s telling the truth, and I know that’s me,” Roberts said. “We’re really proud of her. We’re so proud of what she was able to accomplish.”
Roberts called it a “huge moment” for her sister and other survivors, saying, “This is a thank you. We believe in you. We see you. And for me, I love you. We love you…This is a very vindicating moment for us. And I wish she would have been here to share this with us.”
Giuffre’s family said in a statement that they will fight to ensure that other associates of Epstein face similar sentences. “Our sister, who was just a child when she was sexually assaulted by Andrew, has never stopped fighting for accountability for what happened to her and for countless other survivors like her. Today, she declares victory,” the statement said, adding, “We will not rest until the same accountability applies to all abusers and abettors associated with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.”
Calls continue to demand justice for Andrew
Anti-monarchy group Republic said on Thursday it had instructed its lawyers to launch a private prosecution against Mr Andrew “over allegations of sexual offenses and misconduct in public office”.
The group said its lawyers are actively investigating the case against Andrew and aim to begin proceedings in the coming weeks. The Republic had previously asked police to investigate Andrew.
“Let me be clear: Prince Andrew (now Andrew Mountbatton-Windsor) has not faced justice. He has not been held accountable. Losing his silly title is not the answer to the very serious accusations of sexual misconduct and corruption in public office,” Republic CEO Graham Smith said on Thursday following the Palace’s announcement.
“This isn’t about William and Charles taking a hard line. It’s about William and Charles defending their position by distancing themselves from Andrew as much as possible,” Smith added. “We need to see Andrew face justice because we need to know that the royal family is not above the law.”
On Monday, the British monarch was heckled by protesters who could be heard shouting: “How long have you known about Andrew and Epstein?” He was visiting a cathedral in northwest England.
Andrew’s daughters retain the title of princess
Andrew’s daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, will retain their titles as they are daughters of the sovereign’s son, in line with rules set by King George V in 1917.
Andrew’s ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, who has lived with him at Royal Lodge for the past 20 years, is also expected to leave and is understood to be making her own arrangements.
Ferguson, 66, is the mother of Andrew’s two children. They married in 1986 and divorced 10 years later. She previously held the title Duchess of York, but reverted to her maiden name after Andrew ceded that title earlier this month.
CNN also understands that the British government was consulted about the king’s decision, and the government has said it supports the move.
The last time a prince’s title was revoked is said to have been over 100 years ago. Prince Charles Edward, one of Queen Victoria’s grandsons, was stripped of his title as Duke of Albany by the British Parliament under the 1917 Deprivation of Titles Act. This step came after he fought for Germany in World War I as Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
CNN’s MiSeon Lee contributed to this report. This story has been updated with additional developments.
