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King Charles III has officially stripped Prince Andrew of all royal titles and honors, including "His Royal Highness" and "Duke of York," following renewed outrage over his Epstein ties.
Britain's Prince Andrew (left) with King Charles in London on September 16, 2025. (Photo: Reuters/file)
UPDATED: Nov 7, 2025 03:23 IST
King Charles III has formally stripped his brother, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, of all royal titles, marking a decisive end to one of the British monarchy’s most controversial chapters.
In a Letters Patent, a centuries-old royal decree sealed with the monarch’s insignia, King Charles declared that Andrew would no longer be entitled to the style or dignity of His Royal Highness or the title Prince, according to The Associated Press.
An announcement published on Wednesday in The Gazette, the UK government’s official record, stated: “The King has been pleased by Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the Realm dated 3 November 2025 to declare that Andrew Mountbatten Windsor shall no longer be entitled to hold and enjoy the style, title or attribute of ‘Royal Highness’ and the titular dignity of ‘Prince.’”
The King also revoked Andrew’s title as the Duke of York, a move that had been announced last week.
FALLOUT FROM EPSTEIN TIES
The decision follows King Charles’s October 30 announcement that he was stripping Andrew of his titles and evicting him from his longtime residence at Royal Lodge, near Windsor Castle. The move came amid renewed public anger over Andrew’s association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and the release of a posthumous memoir by Virginia Roberts Giuffre, one of Epstein’s victims.
Giuffre’s family, still mourning her death earlier this year, welcomed the King’s decision. She had accused Andrew of sexually abusing her when she was a teenager trapped in Epstein’s trafficking network in the early 2000s, allegations Andrew has repeatedly denied. Epstein died in a New York jail in 2019, in what officials ruled a suicide.
FORCED TO RELOCATE
Andrew, 65, is now expected to vacate his 30-room Windsor residence, his home for over two decades, and relocate to a smaller property on the King’s Sandringham Estate in eastern England. The relocation will reportedly be funded by the monarch.
The formal removal of his titles marks the most severe public censure faced by the late Queen Elizabeth II’s second son, whose royal duties have been suspended since 2019.
US LAWMAKERS SEEK TESTIMONY
In a new development, members of a US congressional committee investigating Epstein’s sex-trafficking network have written to Andrew, seeking his cooperation.
“Well-documented allegations against you, along with your long-standing friendship with Mr. Epstein, indicate that you may possess knowledge of his activities relevant to our investigation,” the lawmakers stated in their letter.
The committee has requested a response by November 20, though Andrew is not legally compelled to comply.
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Published By:
Akshat Trivedi
Published On:
Nov 7, 2025
