Prince no more: Andrew to be stripped of royal titles, forced out of home

Britain's King Charles has moved to strip his younger brother Andrew of his titles and honours, and force him out of his home, Buckingham Palace says, over his ties with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

He will be known simply as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor.

The decision by the king, who is still undergoing regular treatment for cancer, marks one of the most dramatic moves against a member of the royal family in modern British history.

The statement on Friday (NZT) said a formal notice had now been served on Andrew to surrender the lease of his mansion called Royal Lodge, and he will move to alternative private accommodation in eastern England.

"Prince Andrew will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. His lease on Royal Lodge has, to date, provided him with legal protection to continue in residence. Formal notice has now been served to surrender the lease and he will move to alternative private accommodation," the statement continued.

"These censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him.

"Their Majesties wish to make clear that their thoughts and utmost sympathies have been, and will remain with, the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse," Buckingham Palace said.

BBC reports Sarah Ferguson, Andrew's ex-wife will also move out of the lodge, and will find her own residence.

The pair divorced in the '90s but have continued to live at the same property.

Andrew's daughters, Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice, will retain their titles, according to the BBC.

It comes two weeks after Andrew said he would give up the 'Duke of York' title.

A palace source said that while Andrew continued to deny the accusations against him, it was clear that there had been serious lapses of judgement.

The source said the decision was taken by Charles but that the monarch had the support of the wider family, including heir-to-the-throne Prince William.

In recent weeks British newspapers have turned their focus on Andrew's finances after The Times reported that he had not paid rent on his 30-room mansion for two decades, but had funded at least £7.5 million ($NZ17m) of renovations when he moved in.

In a rare political intervention, a British parliamentary committee had on Wednesday questioned whether Andrew should still be living in the house.

Fall from grace

Andrew was once regarded as a dashing naval officer and served in the military during the Falklands War with Argentina in the early 1980s.

But he was forced to step down from a roving UK trade ambassador role in 2011, before quitting all royal duties in 2019 and then was stripped of his military links and royal patronages in 2022 amid allegations of sexual misconduct that he has always denied.

That year, he settled a lawsuit brought by Virginia Giuffre, who died in April, which accused him of sexually abusing her when she was a teenager. Andrew has always denied her account, which has recently returned to prominence with the release of her memoir.

In her book, she said "entitled" Andrew believed it was his birthright to have sex with her.

Giuffre's family called the move was a "victory".

"Today, an ordinary American girl from an ordinary American family, brought down a British prince with her truth and extraordinary courage," her brother Skye Roberts and sister-in-law Amanda said in a statement, BBC News reported.

"Virginia Roberts Giuffre, our sister, a child when she was sexually assaulted by Andrew, never stopped fighting for accountability for what had happened to her and to countless other survivors like her.

"Today, she declares victory. We, her family, along with her survivor sisters, continue Virginia's battle and will not rest until the same accountability applies to all of the abusers and abettors connected to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell."

Earlier this month, correspondence between Andrew and Epstein from 2011, published by the Mail on Sunday and The Sun, revealed Andrew telling Epstein that they should "keep in close touch" and that they would "play some more soon".

Polls show the royal family has been losing the support of younger generations for years. Charles, with the support of 43-year-old William, has acted to protect the institution, which experts say is the priority of any monarch.

In 1936, Edward VIII was forced to abdicate just over a year after ascending the throne so he could marry a divorced American socialite. He retained the title of Duke of Windsor but was largely banished from Britain.

- Reuters/RNZ