The accused is superfluous: Charles III announced plans to deprive Prince Andrew's brother of titles

King Charles III of Great Britain ordered his brother Prince Andrew to be stripped of all titles and honors, as well as evicted from the royal residence. This decision was made due to Andrew's accusations of rape of minors and connections with financier Jeffrey Epstein. For more information, see the Izvestia article.

What is known about the removal of Prince Andrew's titles

King Charles III of Great Britain ordered the removal of his younger brother, 65-year-old Prince Andrew, from all titles and honors, the BBC reported, citing Buckingham Palace. Now, according to the statement, Prince Andrew will be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. At the same time, Andrew's daughters, Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice, will retain their titles.

In addition, Charles III decided to evict his brother from the royal residence. Andrew has already received an official notification that he needs to give up the lease of his mansion and move, the message says.

The brother of Charles III lived for more than 20 years at the Royal Lodge residence, the estate of the British royal family in the Great Windsor Park. The building is listed on the English National Heritage Register. According to the BBC, this residence provided Andrew with legal protection. The younger brother of Charles III, according to the publication, will move to the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, the money for this will be given by the king.

Earlier in October, Andrew Mountbatten renounced his royal titles and honors. According to The Telegraph, the prince has lost the title of Duke of York.

"During discussions with the King, as well as with my immediate family, we have come to the conclusion that the ongoing accusations against me are distracting from the work of His Majesty and the royal family. I decided that duty to my family and country came first. I remain true to my decision, made five years ago, to withdraw from public life," said a statement on the Buckingham Palace website.

Then, as stated in The Telegraph, Andrew Mountbatten had to lose his membership in the Order of the Garter, the highest knightly order of Great Britain, despite the fact that this title should have remained with him by birthright.

Can a prince be stripped of his title

Andrew is the second son of Queen Elizabeth II, so the title of prince should have remained with him by birthright.

However, the introduction of a law on the abolition of titles in the UK has been discussed for several years. As stated on the website of the country's parliament, an independent MP from the York Central district introduced a bill to abolish titles in 2022. He granted the King the right to revoke any title on his own initiative or on the recommendation of a parliamentary committee. The bill did not go beyond the first reading, but in 2025, the deputy presented a new version of the document.

Nevertheless, many officials spoke in favor of the fact that Parliament "in accordance with a long tradition does not interfere in matters concerning the royal family." The House of Commons (the lower house) stated that the issue of titles is a matter primarily under the jurisdiction of the king.

"I know that there are rumors about legislative initiatives (on the abolition of titles — Ed.), but the Palace has made it clear that it recognizes the existence of other issues that the House needs to address, and in this we are guided by the decisions of the Palace," said the leader of the House Alan Campbell.

As stated on the parliament's website, bills directly affecting the monarchy are sometimes submitted to Parliament in response to the monarch's message, if the bill contains provisions affecting this prerogative, the king's consent is required.

What is Prince Andrew accused of?

Prince Andrew has been criticized for his ties to financier Jeffrey Epstein, who was accused of human trafficking for the purpose of sexualized exploitation of minors.

In 2024, the Manhattan Federal District Court released documents from the Epstein case. Among other things, the name of Prince Andrew appeared in these documents.

In addition, in 2021, the American Virginia Giuffre filed a lawsuit against the younger brother of Card III for violence. According to her, even when she was a teenager, Epstein "lent" her for sex to his influential acquaintances, including Andrew. In April 2025, the girl was found dead.

Prince Andrew has repeatedly denied the allegations. He also recalled this in his October statement.

"As I have said before, I strongly deny the allegations against me," Buckingham Palace quoted Andrew as saying.

However, in 2022, Andrew Mountbatten entered into an out-of-court agreement with Giuffre.

"These censure measures are necessary, despite the fact that he continues to deny the charges against him. His Majesty wishes to make it clear that his thoughts and deepest sympathies have been and will remain with the victims and survivors of any form of violence," Buckingham Palace said in a statement.