Charles III Strips Titles from His Brother Andrew Due to Epstein Scandal

Charles III has stripped his brother Andrew of his titles amid the ongoing scandal surrounding his connections to American sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The announcement was made by Buckingham Palace on Thursday, revealing that a formal process has begun to remove Andrew's "titles and honors," and he will henceforth be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor.

Furthermore, the disgraced prince must vacate his residence, Royal Lodge, a 30-room mansion near Windsor Castle, about 40 km west of London. A formal notice has been issued for him to relinquish the lease, and he will be moving to another private residence.

Andrew, the second son of the late Queen Elizabeth II, aged 65, has lived in the mansion with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson since 2003. He is set to relocate to Sandringham, a private estate of the British sovereign located approximately 180 km northeast of London.

This announcement follows yet another twist in the scandal regarding his ties to Epstein, coinciding with the release of explosive posthumous memoirs by Virginia Giuffre, Epstein's main accuser, who died by suicide in April 2025.

"Today, an ordinary American girl from an ordinary American family has brought down a British prince with her truth and extraordinary courage," her family stated in a message to the BBC following Buckingham's announcement.

The decision involved Prince William, the son of Charles III and heir to the throne, and effectively isolates Andrew, who was previously favored by Elizabeth II before her passing in 2022.

Andrew fell from grace due to his association with Jeffrey Epstein, the American pedophile who was found dead in his prison cell in 2019 before his sex crimes trial.

He had already been distanced from the royal family since 2019, but the scandal has lingered. Under pressure from his brother, he had renounced his title of Duke of York in mid-October, although this resignation did not equate to a formal removal.

A source from Buckingham Palace stated that Thursday's decision required time and legal and constitutional expertise. In addition to losing his title as prince, Andrew is also stripped of his titles as Duke of York, Earl of Inverness, and Baron Killyleagh. He is also losing prestigious honorary distinctions, including his title of Knight of the Order of the Garter, which was bestowed upon him by his mother in 2006.

In Giuffre's posthumous memoir published on October 21, she reiterated her accusations against Andrew, claiming she was forced to have three sexual encounters with him at Epstein's request while under his control. Andrew has consistently denied the allegations.

King Charles and his wife Camilla expressed that their thoughts and deepest sympathies have been, and will remain, with the victims and survivors of all forms of abuse, as stated in the palace's announcement.

The pressure has increased in recent days following reports of a photograph featuring Jeffrey Epstein, his friend and accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell—convicted to 20 years in prison in 2022—and imprisoned film producer Harvey Weinstein, taken in the gardens of Royal Lodge during Princess Beatrice's 18th birthday celebration.

The scandal, which seems impossible to contain, is viewed as a threat to the monarchy. Last Monday, during a visit to a cathedral in central England, the king was loudly confronted by a man asking, "How long did you know about Andrew and Epstein? Did you ask the police to cover for him?"

Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, Andrew's daughters, will retain their titles.