King Charles has finally banished his brother. Is it too little too late?

London
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The scandal surrounding King Charles’ brother Andrew took yet another dramatic turn after the British sovereign’s decision to essentially evict him from the monarchy as well as the 30-room mansion where he’s lived for more than 20 years.

The monarchy has been under intense pressure to resolve the Andrew issue amid renewed public fury over his ties to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, which was further inflamed by the release of his sexual abuse accuser Virginia Giuffre’s posthumous memoir. Andrew has repeatedly denied the allegations against him.

Two weeks ago, Andrew gave up the use of his titles and honors, more than five years after stepping back as a frontline royal. He said he was putting “duty to my family and country first” but it did little to stop the snowballing scandal.

Then on Thursday evening, a brusque bombshell announcement from Buckingham Palace: Andrew is to lose his princely status, and effective immediately he is plain old Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, a commoner.

The significance of Charles’ moves on Thursday cannot be overstated, with royal historian Kate Williams describing them as “unprecedented.”

“This is a huge move from the royal family. Just recently, the King announced that Andrew was stepping back from the title Duke of York just a few days before Mrs. Giuffre’s memoir was published. But that simply wasn’t enough for public opinion,” she said.

“We have had people in the past losing the title of prince or princess. Henry VIII (reigned 1509-1547) said his daughters were no longer legitimate after he annulled the marriages with their mothers, Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn – but he changed his mind later.”

She also pointed out Prince Charles Edward – one of Queen Victoria’s grandsons – whose title of the Duke of Albany was removed by parliament in 1917 after he fought for Germany in World War I. But Andrew’s situation, Williams said, was different as he was censured because of his serious errors of judgment.

It is the ultimate humiliation for the 65-year-old royal, who is known to enjoy the trappings and privilege of royal life. He will move out of Royal Lodge, his sprawling mansion in the heart of the Windsor estate just outside of London, as soon as is practicable and be exiled to the countryside to live in obscurity.

Andrew is understood not to have objected to his brother’s actions, but it also seems unlikely that he had any choice. It was not just the public that had expressed outrage and frustration; there had also been increasing calls for Andrew to appear before a parliamentary committee.

The King’s moves were welcomed by many politicians late on Thursday. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said that “the King has clearly felt that this is the right decision for the royal family” but added that it “must have been a very difficult thing” to act against his own sibling.

Liberal Democrats leader Ed Davey said Andrew’s situation “had become totally untenable, having disgraced his office and embarrassed the country.”

He added, “This is an important step towards rebuilding trust in our institutions and drawing a line under this whole sorry saga.”

For several weeks, it has felt like some sort of announcement was coming down the pike and was simply a case of when, rather than if.

“These censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him,” the palace statement said.

Meanwhile, royal sources have told celebrity.land that the King was trying to act swiftly following recent developments but had needed some time to consult legal and constitutional experts.

It is also understood that the King took action in light of his sibling’s serious lapses of judgment and has the support of the wider family, including Prince William.

This would have been a very difficult decision, deeply personal given the family dynamics at play. The negotiations to get here will have been challenging but the monarch had to go into damage control.

For many people in the country, and certainly critics of the royal family, these moves might not be enough to rehabilitate the monarchy’s tarnished reputation. Already some on social media are saying the removal of Andrew’s status as prince only goes so far. Other critics say the family has shielded Andrew over the years, and pressure for some sort of accountability needs to continue.

“Losing silly titles is not an answer to very serious accusations of sexual offenses and corruption in public office,” Graham Smith, chief executive of the anti-monarchy campaign group Republic, said following the palace’s announcement.

“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 added. “We need to see Andrew face justice, because we need to know that the royals are not above the law.”

Despite being stripped of his prince title, Andrew remains eighth in line to the throne. Royal sources have told celebrity.land that he will be given a house on the King’s private estate in Sandringham, and will receive an income from Charles as well.

His ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, who has been living with Andrew at Royal Lodge for the last two decades, is moving out as well and is understood to be making her own arrangements.

Their two daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, will retain their titles as daughters of the son of a sovereign, in line with a directive issued by King George V in 1917.

It’s not yet clear if the King’s actions will be enough to give a public perception that the situation has been handled, but Charles seems to be doing as much as he feels he can within his own royal prerogative.