Buckingham Palace has formally announced that Prince Andrew will be stripped of his royal "treatment, titles, and honors." The Duke of York will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor.
This significant change was confirmed on Thursday, October 30, amidst his ongoing sexual assault scandal. The statement also mandates his departure from Royal Lodge in Windsor, England.
Prince Andrew’s lease for Royal Lodge previously offered him legal protection to reside there until 2078. The agreement also allowed for a considerable sum from the Crown if he renounced the lease.
However, reports indicate that any compensation due to Andrew might be affected by the property’s condition. He is expected to relocate to the Sandringham estate in Norfolk.
Financially, Andrew will receive a private allowance from his brother, King Charles III. Any additional income sources will be his own responsibility.
The Palace statement emphasized the necessity of these "censures." This decision stands despite Andrew’s continued denial of all accusations against him.
Buckingham Palace also made clear its "thoughts and utmost sympathy have been and will remain with the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse."
Andrew was first accused of sexual assault in 2019 by the late Virginia Giuffre. She alleged sexual encounters in 2001 when she was a minor.
Giuffre filed a sexual abuse lawsuit against Andrew in 2021. The parties reached an out-of-court settlement in 2022.
Giuffre died by suicide in April at the age of 41. Her posthumous memoirs, Nobody’s Girl, released October 21, contained new allegations against Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein.
Weeks before the book’s publication, on October 17, Andrew had announced his decision to step away further from public life. He stated that continued allegations distracted from the Royal Family’s work.
He reiterated his strong denial of the accusations against him in that earlier statement. He also confirmed his agreement with King Charles to cease using his titles and honors.