Buckingham Palace statement in full as King Charles to strip Andrew of all titles | Royal | News
The King is launching a formal process to strip Prince Andrew of his titles and honours. Buckingham Palace confirmed in a statement that the former Duke of York had been served with a notice to give up his lease at the Royal Lodge at Windsor.
The scandal-plagued Crown will now be known simply as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, the King and Queen have said. They added that they continue to sympathize with the victims of harassment. The decision to officially strip Andrew of his titles and honors is reportedly supported by the wider Royal Family, including Prince William. Meanwhile, Andrew’s children Princess Beatrice and Eugenie will retain their titles as they are the daughters of a Monarch’s son.
The statement said: “His Royal Highness has today begun a formal process to remove Prince Andrew’s Order, Titles and Honors.
“Prince Andrew will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. To date his lease at the Royal Lodge has provided him with legal protection to continue his residence. He has now been given formal notice to relinquish his lease and he will move to alternative private accommodation. These censures are deemed necessary although he continues to deny the allegations against him.”
“Her Majesty wishes to make it clear that her thoughts and utmost sympathies remain with the victims and survivors of all forms of abuse.”
It is understood Andrew did not object after King Charles initiated the process to have his titles stripped and will now move to a property at Sandringham Estate in Norfolk. Future stays will be privately financed by the King.
Conservative Leader Kemi Badenoch praised the King’s “very difficult” decision to strip his brother of his titles. He said on LBC Radio: I think the King clearly felt that this was the right decision for the royal family.
“It must have been a very difficult thing for him to do. I mean, to have to do this to his own brother. But the standards and expectations in society are very high now. People expect to see the highest levels of honesty.”
Andrew has lived rent-free in the luxury 30-room mansion for over 20 years. But after her relationship with convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein was revealed, there were increasing calls for her to vacate the property, including from MPs.
Andrew has come under intense scrutiny following accusations from Virginia Giuffre that she was trafficked for sex with the prince while she was underage. He denied the allegations.
Efforts to contain the scandal failed, with MPs demanding explanations about living arrangements at the Royal Lodge. They described the allegations against him on Thursday, October 30 as “serious and disturbing”.
Politicians on the Public Accounts Committee have written to the Crown Estate to pressure the disgraced royal to part with the estate. In the bluntly worded letter, the Crown Estate was asked to answer a list of 14 questions, including whether the current resident of the Royal Lodge was getting the best value for money, given that the taxpayer “no longer serves as a working member of the Royal Family or uses Royal titles other than that of the Prince”.
The MPs said: “In light of recent developments and changes in Prince Andrew’s responsibilities, we are concerned about whether the lease arrangements for the Royal Lodge provide the best value for money.”
