King Charles strips Prince Andrew of his royal titles over scandals linked to Jeffrey Epstein

King Charles III set in motion a formal process to definitively withdraw all titles, honors, and royal prerogatives from Prince Andrew, who will henceforth be known only as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

The decision, announced on Thursday through an official statement from Buckingham Palace, marks a turning point amid controversies that have long plagued the British monarchy.

End of an era at Royal Lodge

The document details that the lease that allowed Andrew to reside at Royal Lodge, a 30-room mansion located in Windsor Great Park, has been terminated effective immediately.

Until now, that agreement granted him some legal protection to remain in the property, but the formal notice of termination forces him to leave it and move to a private home.

Along those lines, as reported by BBC News, the most likely destination will be a more modest residence within the royal estate of Sandringham, in Norfolk.

Similarly, the palace stressed that these measures "are deemed necessary," despite the fact that Andrew “continues to deny the allegations against him." The statement further notes that, "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."

Previous resignation and an explosive unauthorized biography

Prince Andrew had already taken a step back on October 17, when he announced his renunciation of the title of Duke of York. This decision came just two months after the publication of the unauthorized biography "Rise and Fall of the House of York", written by British historian Andrew Lownie.

The book, which reviews in detail the public and private career of the son of Elizabeth II, has been pointed to as one of the immediate catalysts for the current crisis in the Windsor family.

Links to Jeffrey Epstein

Andrew's name has been inextricably linked to that of U.S. financier Jeffrey Epstein, convicted of child sex trafficking and who died in prison in 2019.

One of the most serious allegations came from Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who sued the prince in 2021, alleging that Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell forced her to have sex with him on three occasions, one of them when she was 17.

In 2022, both parties settled out of court for a million-dollar sum without Andrew admitting liability.

Giuffre died by suicide earlier this year, but this month her memoirs were published under the title "Nobody's Girl," where she crudely reiterates her allegations against the prince.

The Giyffre family celebrates Buckingham's decision

In a statement to Fox News, her family celebrated the royal decision as a symbolic victory: "Today, an ordinary American girl from an ordinary American family brought down a British prince with her truth and extraordinary courage. Virginia Roberts Giuffre, our sister, a child when she was sexually assaulted by Andrew, never stopped fighting for accountability for what had happened to her and to countless other survivors like her. Today, she declares victory."

The family members added that "along with her survivor sisters, continue Virginia's battle and will not rest until the same accountability applies to all of the abusers and abettors connected to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell."