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Prince Andrew is to be stripped of his royal titles and will move out of his home at the Royal Lodge in Windsor, Buckingham Palace has announced.<\/p>\n
King Charles has initiated a \u201cformal process to remove the style, titles and honours of Prince Andrew\u201d, who will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor<\/a>, the palace said.<\/p>\n It is understood the king had the support of the Prince of Wales in the decision and Andrew did not object to the process.<\/p>\n The decision follows anxiety within the royal household about the reputational risk to the monarchy caused by continual headlines concerning Andrew\u2019s friendship with the late child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein<\/a> and allegations of sexual assault against him by one of Epstein\u2019s victims, Virginia Giuffre.<\/p>\n This month the Guardian published extracts from the posthumous memoir of Giuffre<\/a>, who died by suicide in April, aged 41. In the book she claimed the prince \u201cbelieved that having sex with me was his birthright\u201d.<\/p>\n Andrew has always denied claims he had sex with Giuffre when she was 17, and settled a civil case with her for a reported \u00a312m with no admission of liability.<\/p>\n Giuffre\u2019s family said on Thursday that \u201ctoday, she declares a victory\u201d and that she had \u201cbrought down a British prince with her truth and extraordinary courage\u201d.<\/p>\n Buckingham Palace said in a statement: \u201cPrince Andrew will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor.<\/p>\n \u201cHis lease on Royal Lodge has, to date, provided him with legal protection to continue in residence. Formal notice has now been served to surrender the lease and he will move to alternative private accommodation. These censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him.<\/p>\n \u201cTheir 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.\u201d<\/p>\n It is understood that Andrew will move to a property on the private Sandringham estate in Norfolk, to be privately funded by the king.<\/p>\n His ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, will also move out of Royal Lodge and will sort out her own living arrangements.<\/p>\n Formal notice was given to surrender the lease at the Royal Lodge on Thursday and it is understood that Andrew\u2019s move to Sandringham will take place \u201cas soon as practicable\u201d. He will receive a private provision from the king, with any other sources of income to be a matter for the former duke.<\/p>\n The removal process applies to the titles of Prince, Duke of York, Earl of Inverness, Baron Killyleagh and the style His Royal Highness. The honours affected are Andrew\u2019s Order of the Garter and Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order. He had ceased to use the HRH style in 2022<\/a> but it had not been formally removed.<\/p>\n As daughters of the son of a monarch, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie retain their titles in line with King George V\u2019s letters patent of 1917.<\/p>\n The king is understood to have acted now because while Andrew continues to deny the accusations against him, it is felt that there have been serious lapses of judgment.<\/p>\n The royal family had announced on 17 October that Andrew would voluntarily stop using the title Duke of York<\/a> and give up his honours as a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order and Royal Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter.<\/p>\n