Andrew Suffers Final Blow With Removal Of His 'Prince' Title, But He Is Still 8th In Line To The Throne

King Charles has formally stripped Prince Andrew of his royal titles and privileges days after the former royal relinquished his duke title.

Andrew's lease on Royal Lodge has also been terminated, and he will move to a privately funded Sandringham estate.

Though Andrew remains eighth in line to the throne, his honors and peerages have been revoked. The move follows Virginia Giuffre's allegations and settlement.

King Charles has officially begun the process of stripping his younger brother, Prince Andrew, of his royal titles and privileges. This move marks the end of Andrew's long-held status within the monarchy.

In an official statement released Thursday, Buckingham Palace confirmed that "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 palace added that Andrew's lease on Royal Lodge, his long-time residence in Windsor, has been formally terminated.

"Formal notice has now been served to surrender the lease, and he will move to alternative private accommodation," the statement read, per CNN.

According to BBC News, Andrew is expected to relocate to one of the King's private estates, a move personally funded by the British monarch, and to take place as soon as arrangements can be finalized.

Palace sources acknowledged that, while Andrew continues to deny all allegations against him, officials determined that his past conduct demonstrated serious lapses in judgment, prompting his latest downfall.

Despite the announcement, Andrew remains eighth in line to the British throne, a position that can only be revoked through formal legislation requiring the approval of Commonwealth nations worldwide, a complex process not seen since King Edward VIII's abdication in 1936.

According to CNN, rather than pursue a parliamentary route to revoke Andrew's title as Duke of York, Charles will issue royal warrants to strip him of his peerages connected to York, Inverness, and Killyleagh.

Until now, Andrew has also held the titles Earl of Inverness, Baron Killyleagh, Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, and Royal Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter. The removal of these honors and titles is already in effect.

The development follows Andrew's decision earlier this month to relinquish his remaining royal affiliations, though he has continued to deny any wrongdoing connected to his association with the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Andrew explained that after discussions with Charles and other senior members of the royal family, he decided to step back from public duties because the ongoing allegations had become a major distraction from the monarchy's work.

The accusations, brought forward by Virginia Giuffre, alleged that Andrew sexually abused her in 2001 when she was 17. The Duke of York consistently denied the claims but ultimately reached an out-of-court settlement with Giuffre in early 2022.

Tragically, Giuffre died by suicide in April of this year. In the months since, The Guardian has published excerpts from her posthumous memoir, which detail her alleged encounters with Andrew and shed further light on her experience as a victim of Epstein's network.

In a statement issued Thursday, Buckingham Palace emphasized the royal family's support for survivors, saying: "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."

In the wake of Charles's move to strip Andrew of his royal titles, the anti-monarchy organization Republic announced that it has instructed lawyers to initiate a private prosecution against Andrew over allegations of "sexual offenses and misconduct in public office."

According to the group, legal representatives have already begun reviewing evidence and are preparing to file proceedings in the coming weeks.

Republic has long been one of the monarchy's most vocal critics and previously urged police to open a criminal investigation into Andrew's conduct.

In a statement issued after Buckingham Palace's announcement, Graham Smith, Republic's chief executive, said the recent decision to remove Andrew's royal titles does not equate to accountability, as the disgraced Royal "is not facing justice."

"Losing silly titles is not an answer to very serious accusations of sexual offenses and corruption in public office," he argued, per CNN.

Smith further accused the royal family of acting out of self-preservation rather than principle, noting, "This isn't about William and Charles taking a tough line. It's about William and Charles protecting their position by putting as much distance between them and Andrew as they can."

Smith concluded that the British public deserves transparency and justice, saying the case highlights the need to show that the "royals are not above the law."