He’s just plain Andrew Mountbatten Windsor now.
On Thursday afternoon, Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles has started the formal process to strip his younger brother of his prince title.
“His Majesty has today initiated a formal process to remove the Style, Titles and Honours of Prince Andrew,” the statement reads.
This is a historic move by the King. For context, the last time a British royal was “formally deprived” of their title happened more than a hundred years ago and involved a Prince Ernest who fought for Germany against the United Kingdom in the First World War.
It’s also led to speculation around whether Andrew is just the first among several other royals who could be formally stripped of their titles. Who’s next? Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, claims the Daily Mail’s Maureen Callahan, who says “royal insiders” have told her that a “bigger unravelling is coming next.” Two things that are worth noting here: Other than wishful thinking on her part, there’s nothing to actually back up her claims that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex could have their titles taken from them. Also, there’s just simply no comparing the sort of ongoing rolling scandals that Andrew is linked to to anything Meghan and Harry have been accused of.
Of Andrew, who actually will be formally stripped of all his titles: The British prime minister, Keir Starmer, has said he “fully supports” the King’s decision.
Despite losing his titles, Andrew is still eighth in line to the throne, as it would take an act of Parliament to change the order of succession.
There is also chatter that this may not be the end of Andrew’s punishment for his alleged behaviour. While the Metropolitan Police in London looked into allegations about Andrew’s alleged behaviour with Jeffrey Epstein three times and opted not to investigate further, they are currently “actively looking into” recent allegations that he gave her Social Security Number to his taxpayer-funded protection officer in an attempt to access private information that could be used to damage her reputation. If true, this would potentially be a crime.
The family of Virginia Giuffre — the woman who said she was forced to have sex with Andrew three times when she was a teenager being sex-trafficked by convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein — reacted to this news, issuing a statement. “Today, an ordinary American girl from an ordinary American family, brought down a British prince with her truth and extraordinary courage,” it reads in part. “Today, she declares victory.”
According to the Palace’s statement, rather than just not using his Duke of York title, something Andrew “volunteered” to do last week, he is being officially stripped of it and any other royal titles, including the one that was his birthright as the child of a monarch.
And as he is no longer a prince or a duke — who wouldn’t use a last name — he now goes by the family surname, Mountbatten Windsor.
In a further blow, yesterday’s announcement went on to say that “formal notice has been served to surrender the lease” on Royal Lodge, the property where he has lived for decades essentially rent-free.
In a telling bit of commentary at the end, it continues: “These censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him.”
And in case there was any doubt about why this move is being made, it concludes with: “Their Majesties wish to make clear that their thoughts and utmost sympathies have been, and will remain with, the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse.”
Here, they’re drawing a clear line between today’s announcement and the sexual assault allegations made against Andrew by Giuffre.
While this is not a new scandal — and in fact, Andrew reached a settlement with Giuffre in 2022 to settle her civil case against him — it has resurfaced with the publication of her memoir, ’Nobody’s Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice,’ released months after she died by suicide earlier this year.
Andrew voluntarily giving up the usage of his Duke of York title, among others, seems to have been an attempt to get ahead of any renewed scrutiny, deflecting any calls for action on the part of the Royal Family ahead of a significant visit by King Charles to the Vatican.
This was not successful: In fact, a small group of MPs lodged a motion to ask Parliament to formally strip Andrew of his titles, and there has also been renewed attention on the fact that Andrew has lived at Royal Lodge, formerly the Queen Mother’s home, essentially for free for decades.
This is despite the fact that he stepped back from working royal life after a car-crash interview with the BBC in 2019 where an attempt to clear his name backfired to the extent that he also lost the use of the His Royal Highness honorific, plus any military honours he had.
And while this is being seen as clear action by the palace to shut down the Andrew problem once and for all, it’s worth noting that the King will now be covering the cost of Andrew’s accommodation. According to the BBC, he will now live at Sandringham, the royal residence in Norfolk. His ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, who’s lived with him at Royal Lodge since their divorce over two decades ago, is now reportedly fending for herself, and will have to make her own arrangements.
They’re also reporting that Andrew, who maintains his innocence, didn’t object to any of these changes. Given that his brother is now paying his rent, it’s also not clear he could say otherwise.
His daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, will reportedly retain their titles.
