Prince Andrew to be stripped of titles and transfer out of Royal Lodge | Prince Andrew

Prince Andrew is to be stripped of his royal titles and can transfer out of his residence on the Royal Lodge in Windsor, Buckingham Palace has introduced.

King Charles has initiated a “formal course of to take away the model, titles and honours of Prince Andrew”, who will now be referred to as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, the palace mentioned.

It’s understood the king had the assist of the Prince of Wales within the choice and Andrew didn’t object to the method.

The choice follows anxiousness throughout the royal family concerning the reputational danger to the monarchy brought on by continuous headlines regarding Andrew’s friendship with the late little one intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein and allegations of sexual assault towards him by certainly one of Epstein’s victims, Virginia Giuffre.

This month the Guardian printed extracts from the posthumous memoir of Giuffre, who killed herself in April, aged 41. Within the ebook she claimed the prince “believed that having intercourse with me was his birthright”.

Andrew has all the time denied claims he had intercourse with Giuffre when she was 17, and settled a civil case along with her for a reported £12m with no admission of legal responsibility.

Giuffre’s household mentioned on Thursday that “at this time, she declares a victory” and that she had “introduced down a British prince along with her reality and extraordinary braveness”.

Buckingham Palace mentioned in a press release: “Prince Andrew will now be referred to as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor.

“His lease on Royal Lodge has, up to now, offered him with authorized safety to proceed in residence. Formal discover has now been served to give up the lease and he’ll transfer to different personal lodging. These censures are deemed crucial, however the truth that he continues to disclaim the allegations towards him.

“Their majesties want to clarify that their ideas and utmost sympathies have been, and can stay with, the victims and survivors of any and all types of abuse.”

It’s understood that Andrew will transfer to a property on the personal Sandringham property in Norfolk, to be privately funded by the king.

His ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, will even transfer out of Royal Lodge and can kind out her personal residing preparations.

Formal discover was given to give up the lease on the Royal Lodge on Thursday and it’s understood that Andrew’s transfer to Sandringham will happen “as quickly as practicable”. He’ll obtain an acceptable personal provision from the king, with some other sources of earnings to be a matter for the previous duke.

The removing course of applies to the titles of Prince, Duke of York, Earl of Inverness, Baron Killyleagh and the model His Royal Highness. The honours affected are Andrew’s Order of the Garter and Knight Grand Cross of the Victorian Order. He had ceased to make use of the HRH model in 2022 however it had not been formally eliminated.

As daughters of the son of a monarch, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie retain their titles consistent with King George V’s letters patent of 1917.

The king is known to have acted now as a result of whereas Andrew continues to disclaim the accusations towards him, it’s felt it’s clear that there have been critical lapses of judgment.

Earlier than the choice to formally strip Andrew of his titles, and transfer him out of Royal Lodge, the royal household had introduced on 17 October that he would voluntarily cease utilizing the title Duke of York and quit his honours as a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order and Royal Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter.

However MPs proceeded to name for Andrew to be formally stripped of his titles. The general public accounts choose committee this week wrote to the Treasury and crown property to demand extra details about the circumstances of the phrases of his residence at 30-room Royal Lodge and why he was required to pay solely a peppercorn lease.

It’s understood that the palace believed the need of additional motion was by no means unsure, however {that a} extra formal removals course of required time, authorized and constitutional experience, and assist from the broader royal household to result in.

Though the dukedom may very well be abolished by way of an act of parliament, this might take up parliamentary time, and it’s understood that Charles didn’t want to forestall parliament from specializing in pressing nationwide points.

The dukedom of York is a peerage. The king is sending royal warrants to the lord chancellor to safe the removing of the dukedom from the peerage roll, and the title of prince and elegance of Royal Highness. The subsidiary titles of Inverness and Killyleagh are equally affected.

The transfer is known to have taken place in session with the related authorities authorities. The federal government helps the choice.

In a press release to the BBC, Giuffre’s household mentioned: “As we speak, an unusual American lady from an unusual American household introduced down a British prince along with her reality and extraordinary braveness.

“Virginia Roberts Giuffre, our sister, a toddler when she was sexually assaulted by Andrew, by no means stopped preventing for accountability for what had occurred to her and numerous different survivors like her.

“As we speak, she declares a victory. We, her household, alongside along with her survivor sisters, proceed Virginia’s battle and won’t relaxation till the identical accountability applies to all of her abusers and abetters, related to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.”

Giuffre alleged she was compelled to have intercourse with Andrew 3 times – as soon as on the convicted intercourse trafficker Maxwell’s residence in London, as soon as at Epstein’s tackle in Manhattan, and as soon as on the disgraced financier’s personal island, Little St James. Andrew has all the time denied the allegations.

The Conservative chief, Kemi Badenoch, mentioned it will need to have been “very tough” for the king to take the steps towards his sibling, however that it was proper for the general public to not tolerate sexual abuse allegations.

She added: “The entire Jeffrey Epstein saga and everybody it has touched, from Prince Andrew to Peter Mandelson, has simply proven that the general public has no truck in anyway with any type of sexual abuse, sexual offences, particularly of minors. And I feel that that’s fairly proper.”

The tradition secretary, Lisa Nandy, advised BBC Query Time that eradicating Andrew’s titles is a “actually courageous, essential and proper step” by the king, and sends a “highly effective message” to sexual abuse victims.

The chief of the Scottish Nationwide celebration in Westminster, Stephen Flynn, mentioned on X: “The correct choice and an essential second for the victims of Epstein.”

The Democratic congressman Suhas Subramanyam, who has beforehand referred to as for Prince Andrew to testify earlier than a US Congressional committee about his hyperlinks to Epstein and Maxwell, has once more urged Andrew to provide proof.

He mentioned: “It’s clear that Prince Andrew has details about Epstein’s crimes and he should do extra than simply quit titles or cover from the general public highlight.

“He owes it to the victims to share every thing he is aware of about Epstein’s legal operation and are available earlier than the oversight committee.

“Regardless, we’ll proceed to pursue the recordsdata and all of the proof, regardless of how wealthy and highly effective the perpetrators concerned.”