King Charles III’s younger brother, Prince Andrew, is set to lose his title of “Prince” and vacate his residence at the Royal Lodge on the Windsor Castle estate, Buckingham Palace announced on Thursday.
The move comes amid ongoing controversy surrounding his association with convicted American sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
In an official statement, the Palace confirmed that the 65-year-old will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, and formal notice has been issued for him to surrender his lease at the Royal Lodge. The statement stressed that these measures were taken despite Andrew’s continued denial of all allegations, underscoring the royal family’s “deep sympathies for victims of abuse”.
Prince Andrew had previously ceased using the “His Royal Highness (HRH)” style after stepping back from public duties in 2019. While he was traditionally entitled to retain the title of “Prince” as a son of the late Queen Elizabeth II, he said the ongoing accusations had become a distraction from the King’s work.
His ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, will also lose her title of Duchess of York, though their daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, remain unaffected by the changes.