Prince Andrew Stripped of Royal Titles

LONDON — Prince Andrew, Duke of York, was stripped of his royal titles by his brother, King Charles III, and evicted from the royal family’s estate in Windsor.

The reason for this circumstance was Andrew’s sexual abuse allegations and his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. They met in 1999 through Epstein’s then-girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, a British former socialite who was later found guilty of child sex trafficking in 2021.

In April 2025, Virginia Giuffre, an Epstein accuser who died by suicide, alleged that she was trafficked by Epstein and forced to have sex with Andrew when she was a teenager. Andrew repeatedly denied these allegations. In 2021, Giuffre filed a lawsuit against Andrew, and the case was settled out of court the next year. In 2022, Andrew lost his military titles and the use of the “His Royal Highness” style.

Buckingham Palace recently issued a statement saying, “His Majesty has today initiated a formal process to remove the style, titles and honors 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.”

Giuffre’s brother, Sky Roberts, has disagreed with this order, saying, “He’s still walking around a free man. I commend the king. I think he’s doing an amazing job as a world leader, setting a precedent, but we need to take it one more step further. He needs to be behind bars, period.”

U.S. members of Congress have written to Andrew requesting that he participate in a “transcribed interview” regarding his affiliation with Epstein. Congress made a formal request, requiring Andrew to respond by Nov. 20. Andrew has been ordered to appear before Congress, but it is unclear whether the committee will allow him to testify.

Additionally, there is speculation that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle may lose their royal titles. In an interview with NewsNation, royal historian Andrew Lownie said, “The relationship between William and Harry is over. William may even go so far as to bar Harry from royal events, including his own father’s funeral.”

This speculation follows the couple’s decision in 2020 to relocate to the U.S. and step back from the royal family, which has raised tensions.

Prithvi Sudhakar is a fourth-year majoring in cybersecurity. To contact him, email pzs5683@psu.edu.