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By Gabe Whisnant
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Prince Andrew will leave his residence at Royal Lodge and no longer hold his royal title, Buckingham Palace announced Thursday. He will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
The move comes amid renewed scrutiny of Andrew’s ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Earlier this month, the prince relinquished his Duke of York title, saying in a statement that “continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family.”
The full statement reads, "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. His 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. 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."
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Prince Andrew Scandal: What Did He Do?
Virginia Giuffre filed a civil lawsuit in New York stating Andrew of raped her when she was a 17-year-old Jeffrey Epstein victim, trafficked to London, New York and the U.S. Virgin Islands to have sex with Andrew. Andrew denied the allegations and settled out of court for an undisclosed sum in 2022 without admitting liability.
Giuffre's allegations were never tested before a jury but pressure had been building on the Monarchy to impose some form of accountability for two main reasons.
One was the publication in October of Giuffre's posthumous memoir Nobody's Girl, which contained her allegations against Andrew but also the wider story of her being abused by Epstein.
The other reason is a series of emails Andrew sent around the time of Giuffre's first newspaper interview, in February 2011, which emerged for the first time in the British press more recently.
One appearing to show he asked a police protection officer to dig up dirt on Giuffre. The Metropolitan Police has said it is "actively looking into" the reports.
In the email, recently published by The Mail on Sunday but originally sent in February 2011, Andrew wrote: “It would also seem she has a criminal record in the [United] States. I have given her DoB [date of birth] and social security number for investigation with XXX, the on duty ppo [personal protection officer].”
Another email undermined Prince Andrew's statement to the BBC in 2019 that he travelled to New York and stayed with Epstein in December 2010 because he thought it was the "honorable" thing to break up their friendship in person.
At the time they had been photographed walking together in Central Park and Andrew told BBC Newsnight: "I said, 'Look, because of what has happened, I don't think it is appropriate that we should remain in contact,' and by mutual agreement during that walk in the park we decided that we would part company and I left, I think it was the next day, and to this day I never had any contact with him from that day forward."
Yet an email from Andrew to Epstein in February 2011 emerged in the media in mid-October, 2025. In it, Andrew wrote: “I’m just as concerned for you! Don’t worry about me! It would seem we are in this together and will have to rise above it. Otherwise keep in close touch and we’ll play some more soon!!!!”
Why is Prince Andrew Losing his Title?
Buckingham Palace released a statement from Andrew on October 17 in which he voluntarily said he was giving up the use of his Duke of York title, alongside a number of others.
He said: "In discussion with The King, and my immediate and wider family, we have concluded the continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family. I have decided, as I always have, to put my duty to my family and country first. I stand by my decision five years ago to stand back from public life.
"With His Majesty’s agreement, we feel I must now go a step further. I will therefore no longer use my title or the honours which have been conferred upon me. As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me."
However, the framing created in that statement, with its reference to putting duty first and avoiding becoming a distraction to the good work of the Monarchy, only inflamed the backlash.
Palace sources now say further action was always inevitable but that it required time to hammer out the logistics, though it is inescapable that the tone of the new announcement is markedly different to Andrew's earlier statement.
Anger had been building not only among the British public but also, significantly, among the country's politicians with Prime Minister Keir Starmer appearing to back calls for Members of Parliament to launch an inquiry into the financial arrangements relating to Royal Lodge.
Andrew paid £1 million to lease the 30-room mansion followed by £7.5 million pounds in renovations completed in 2005 but has not paid rent since. Britain has been going through a cost of living crisis.
Sir Ed Davey, the leader of the opposition LibDems, told the House of Commons: "Will the prime minister support a select committee inquiry, so all those involved can be called for evidence, including the current occupant [of Royal Lodge]?"
Starmer replied: "It's important in relation to all Crown properties that there is proper scrutiny, and I certainly support that."
Whatever palace insiders may say about further action on Andrew having always been invetiable, the move to formally strip Andrew's titles and home will likely be read publicly and by historians as a response to the mounting pressure.
What Will Prince Andrew Be Known As?
The former prince will officially be known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, a name that draws on the heritage of both his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, and his father, Prince Philip, whose family name was Mountbatten.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's children originally took the Mountbatten-Windsor name before becoming prince and princess when Elizabeth died and their grandfather, King Charles III, became Monarch.
Do you have a question about King Charles III and Queen Camilla, Prince William and Princess Kate, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
Updates: 10/30/25, 6:01 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and remarks.
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