Buckingham Palace announced that Prince Andrew would lose his prince title and vacate Royal Lodge in Windsor amid ongoing controversy over his links to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein. The former duke agreed to surrender his remaining royal titles, including the Duke of York, earlier this month. The decision follows serious lapses in Andrew’s judgement, the palace said, although he continues to deny the accusations. It is understood he did not object to the King’s decision. The statement from Buckingham Palace in full:“His Majesty has today initiated a formal process to remove the style, titles and honours of Prince Andrew. Prince Andrew will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor,” the statement read, as per BBC news.
“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. 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,” the statement added.
Where will Prince Andrew stay?
Prince Andrew will be relocated to a property on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk as soon as practicable after formal notice to surrender the lease at Royal Lodge was given on Thursday. Details of his specific accommodation have not been released. The wider Sandringham estate covers approximately 20,000 acres, including 600 acres of gardens, but the Palace has not said which property he will occupy. It is understood that Sarah Ferguson, 66, Andrew’s ex-wife, has also been asked to vacate Royal Lodge and will make her own living arrangements.Also Read: Epstein files: King Charles strips Prince Andrew of all titles; evicts him from Windsor home
How will Andrew get money?
The King will privately fund Andrew’s accommodation and will make “appropriate private provision” for his brother as he moves out of Royal Lodge. Earlier this week, the Public Accounts Committee wrote a letter detailing the “considerable and understandable public interest in the spending of public money” relating to Andrew. The letter asked what the Crown Estate’s plan was to ensure value for money in any future agreements with Andrew. Andrew is understood not to have objected to the King’s decision to remove his titles.
How the titles will be removed?
The titles being stripped are Prince, Duke of York, Earl of Inverness and Baron Killyleagh. He will also lose the right to be called His Royal Highness and the honours of the Order of the Garter and Knight Grand Cross of the Victorian Order. His birth certificate will not be changed and the title change will not apply retrospectively. To remove the titles, the King will send Royal warrants to the Lord Chancellor, David Lammy. On 17 October, Andrew said he would stop using the titles because the “continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family”. “I vigorously deny the accusations against me,” he said.Also Read: King Charles strips Prince Andrew of royal titles: A look at his former roles and crown perks he’s losingPrincess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice will retain their titles, as they are the daughters of the son of a Sovereign. This is in line with King George V’s Letters Patent of 1917. Until this month, Ferguson kept the title Sarah, Duchess of York, but she reverted to her maiden name of Ferguson after Andrew was stripped of his Duke of York title.
