Prince Andrew’s biography has been removed from the royal family website, following a decision by King Charles III to strip him of his royal titles and honors. This marks a significant shift in the royal family’s public acknowledgment of Andrew, who will now be referred to as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. The move comes as Buckingham Palace announced that the former prince has surrendered his lease at Royal Lodge, signaling the end of his tenure as a royal figure. The palace statement highlighted that Andrew’s legal protection from his previous status is no longer in place, and he will now reside in alternative private accommodation. The decision reflects the ongoing scrutiny of Andrew’s past behavior, which has been the subject of intense public and legal attention.
King Charles III’s formal process of removing Andrew’s titles and honors has been widely interpreted as a response to the numerous allegations against him, including his alleged involvement in the sexual abuse of Virginia Roberts Giuffre. Giuffre, a former victim of Jeffrey Epstein, died by suicide in 2023, which has intensified the focus on the legal and moral implications of Andrew’s past associations. Her family and fellow survivors have emphasized that Giuffre’s actions have led to accountability for those implicated in the Epstein case, including Andrew. In 2021, Giuffre filed a lawsuit against Andrew, which was settled in 2022 for an undisclosed sum. Despite his denials of wrongdoing, his public role has been significantly diminished, reflecting the weight of the allegations against him.
Andrew’s ties to Epstein and his former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently serving a prison sentence for her role in Epstein’s trafficking ring, have been central to the controversy. In 2019, Andrew made a troubling interview with the BBC’s