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Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, the royal family member formerly known as Prince Andrew, has lost his title of “prince” and will have to move out of his home, Royal Lodge in Windsor.
The decision comes after renewed attention on his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein following the publication of recent books.
Buckingham Palace said King Charles has officially removed Andrew’s royal styles, titles, and honors. He will now be known only as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. He already gave up his title of Duke of York earlier this month after new questions were raised about his private life.
The move follows the release of Virginia Giuffre’s posthumous memoir, in which she again claimed that she had paid sex with Andrew three times when she was just 17 years of age.
She took her own life earlier this year. Andrew has always denied the allegations. Giuffre’s family said she showed “extraordinary courage” and “brought down a British prince with her truth.”
The Palace also said that Andrew must give up his lease on Royal Lodge, where he has lived since 2004.
He will be moved into a smaller house on the Sandringham Estate, which will be paid for privately by King Charles and will also be paid a private pension. The statement said the actions were “necessary” even though Andrew denies the claims, says he never even met Giuffre, and added that the Palace supports all victims of abuse.
Andrew’s ex-wife Sarah Ferguson will also have to move out. She has reverted to her maiden name, Ferguson, after he gave up the Duke of York title. His daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, will keep their titles.
The government supported the King’s decision. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said it sent a strong message to victims of grooming and sexual abuse and praised the King’s action as “a big step.”
The announcement follows weeks of pressure on the Royal Family as old emails from 2011 showed that Andrew was still in contact with Epstein months after saying their friendship had ended. Questions have also been raised about how Andrew could afford Royal Lodge despite not working as a royal.
Documents show he signed a 75-year lease in 2003 and paid over £8 million upfront instead of rent. That payment covered decades of rent in advance, meaning he has effectively lived rent-free since then.
It was also revealed that in 2006, Andrew hosted Epstein at Royal Lodge for his daughter Beatrice’s birthday, even though Epstein already faced an arrest warrant in the U.S.
For Buckingham Palace, the latest decision is meant to close the chapter on years of scandal surrounding the former Prince Andrew — now simply Mr. Andrew Mountbatten Windsor.
The sacking of Mr. WIndsor is seen in the UK as necessary to preserve the constitutional role of the scandal-prone monarchy which was held together for 70 years by Queen Elizabeth II.
Especially for Commonwealth countries like Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and several Caribbean territories where the British Crown is still the head of state, the credibility and dignity of the monarchy remains a significant factor. Jamaica is considered the most likely country to revoke allegiance to the monarchy in the coming months and years.
Source: BBC.
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