Signs of Camilla’s huge influence in statement ousting Andrew from the Royal Family – with the impassioned last two paragraphs reflecting a cause close to her heart
King III. When Charles moved last night to strip his younger brother Andrew of the title of Prince and his residence in the Royal Lodge, there was a woman who stood by him, determined and calm.
Queen Camilla, 78, may not be in the spotlight when it comes to the royal family’s family matters, but she stands strongly behind her 76-year-old husband in the couple’s commitment to recognizing and supporting victims of abuse.
The shock announcement from Buckingham Palace on Thursday night saw Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, as he will now be known, stripped of his final titles and birthright.
It comes after a series of embarrassments for the disgraced former Duke of York over his friendship with convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
It hasn’t been a great few weeks for the royal family, following the Mail’s revelation that Andrew had told Epstein they were ‘together’ and the publication of Ms Giuffre’s memoirs following the publication of a photograph of her with Virginia Giuffre.
Andrew never really shook up his relationship with Epstein after Ms. Giuffre, who committed suicide at the age of 41 earlier this year, claimed she had been kidnapped and forced to have sex with the royal on three occasions.
The King and Queen hope they can now put Andrew’s antics to rest and look to the monarchy’s future rather than its past.
As Camilla has demonstrated throughout her public life, this includes focusing on victims of abuse rather than alleged perpetrators.
Queen Camilla, 78, may not be in the spotlight when it comes to the royal family’s family matters, but she stands strongly behind her husband, 76, on the couple’s commitment to recognizing and supporting victims of abuse
The shock announcement from Buckingham Palace on Thursday night saw Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, as he will now be known, stripped of his final titles and birthright.
It was perhaps his wife’s influence that made the King’s statement last night a strong departure from his previous attitudes towards Andrew, who wanted to speak to Epstein’s victims.
“His Royal Highness has today initiated a formal process to remove Prince Andrew’s style, titles and dignity,” the statement said.
‘Prince Andrew will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor.
‘His lease at the Royal Lodge has thus far provided him with legal protection to continue his residence.
‘Formal notice has been given to abandon the lease and he will be moving to alternative private accommodation.
‘These censorships are deemed necessary even though he continues to deny the allegations against him.
‘Her Majesty wishes to make it clear that her thoughts and utmost sympathies are with the victims and survivors of all forms of abuse and remain with them.’
It’s that last sentence that reflects on the Queen’s work to support women, combat sexual violence and meet some of the most vulnerable people in society.
In 2013, she started her own initiative, Wash Bag, which provides SARCs with wash kits for victims of sexual assault and rape.
Queen Camilla poses for photos with guests at the reception to celebrate the relaunch of the Wash Bags project at Buckingham Palace in May 2024
The King was understood to have initially moved to sanction his younger brother just days before the publication of Ms Giuffre’s memoir, which contained more embarrassing allegations against Andrew.
It was announced last week that Andrew would lose his titles, including the Dukedom, but his role as ‘prince’ was not mentioned.
But last night the monarch decided that this position was no longer tenable and Andrew Mountbatten was sent to Windsor, a decision no doubt supported by his wife.
Camilla has been working with organizations supporting victims of rape and sexual assault and advocating for women’s rights for almost two decades.
The Queen said she was attacked on a train in her youth, bravely resisted the attacker with her shoe and reported him to the authorities, which led to his arrest.
Since then he has taken the issue seriously and has carried out numerous studies on the prevention and support of victims of sexual violence.
The Queen opened multiple sexual assault referral centers (SARC) after visiting a number of rape crisis centers in 2009, and launched her own initiative, the Wash Bag, in 2013. SARCs with wash kits for those attending the centres.
Today the program is run by high street chain Boots and more than 10,000 bags have been distributed to vulnerable women.
Camilla with TV star Zara McDermott during a visit to Paddington Haven, a sexual assault referral center in West London, in February 2022
Queen Camilla of England, accompanied by Sister Roxanne Schares, Secretary General of the International Association of Superiors, met with nuns in Rome last week, including their work advocating for victims of human trafficking
That same year, it was the first event to bring together such a broad range of organizations, bringing together national stakeholders and policy makers involved in supporting victims of rape and sexual abuse.
He is a patron of the charity Barnardo’s, where he focuses specifically on combating child sexual abuse, and has visited UNICEF programs set up to combat the same problem in countries including Montenegro.
The Queen has devoted a significant amount of time to meeting and speaking to rape victims, including attending a rape crisis center in Croydon and hearing the stories of women who were attacked during the Kosovo conflict.
In 2021, she became boss of Nigeria’s first sexual assault referral centre, Mirabel, and broke with royal protocol by speaking out in strong terms following the rape and murder of Sarah Everard by an on-duty Met Police officer.
The Queen expressed deep shock after the discovery of Ms Everard’s body and called on both men and women to break the “culture of silence” that exists around sexual assault.
The King’s consort has been an outspoken supporter of victims of domestic violence and in 2016 hosted a reception at Clarence House to encourage collaboration between institutions with different roles in tackling the problem.
She has visited organizations such as Refuge and Women’sAid and is a patron of domestic violence charity SafeLives.
Camilla has contributed internationally to the fight against domestic violence worldwide by visiting the Dubai Foundation for Women and Children in 2016, hosting a roundtable on the issue in Adelaide, Australia, and participating in support centers for victims in New Zealand.
As queen, she also hosted a reception to celebrate Refuge’s 50th anniversary in 2022.
Queen Camilla met with victims of human trafficking in Italy in 2017 and continues her work to prevent the exploitation of vulnerable people.
Just last week, she met with Catholic nuns during a trip to Rome, where she and the King also met the Pope.
She took time out of her schedule to speak with sisters from the International Association of General Superiors who are involved in advocacy work, including the prevention of human trafficking.
