Epstein affair

Now Prince Andrew loses his last title

Prince Andrew will soon be known simply as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.(Bild: Kirsty Wigglesworth / AP / picturedesk.com)

After months of pressure surrounding Prince Andrew's scandals, it is now clear: he must relinquish his remaining royal titles and honorary posts. This was confirmed by Buckingham Palace on Thursday evening.

King Charles III is now apparently drawing the consequences - and with full force! The ongoing headlines surrounding Andrew's former links to US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein have simply become too much. The Queen's second eldest son has been refraining from official duties since 2022 and has been living like a bored teenager. Now it's finally over: his remaining titles are also to be "put on hold".

The fact that the fallen prince will also have to move out of his Royal Lodge estate is likely to hit him particularly hard. According to media reports, he will now live in a house on the private Sandringham estate in the English county of Norfolk.

Royal Lodge was once a place of royal elegance - today the 30-room estate in Windsor Great Park is said to be dilapidated and moldy.(Bild: David Dyson / Camera Press / picturedesk.com)

Epstein and Weinstein as guests at Royal Lodge
The living conditions of King Charles III's brother have come under increased public scrutiny in recent days. The fact that Andrew only pays the symbolic rent of "a peppercorn" a year for the Royal Lodge near Windsor Castle caused outrage, as the Times recently reported, citing the lease agreement. King Charles and heir to the throne Prince William reportedly wanted to urge Andrew to move out of the Royal Lodge long ago, but failed because of the lease. After an initial investment in the renovation, Andrew had been granted a long-term right of residence, which he is said to have insisted on until now.

According to a BBC report, Andrew even received Epstein at the Royal Lodge a few years ago together with the convicted sex offender and US producer Harvey Weinstein. Epstein's aide and former partner Ghislaine Maxwell is also said to have been present.

Allegations of sexual abuse of a minor
Almost two weeks ago, Andrew had already announced his renunciation of royal titles in light of the allegations against him. Shortly afterwards, new allegations were made against the prince, according to which he is said to have launched a smear campaign against the alleged abuse victim Virginia Giuffre.

In her posthumously published memoirs, Giuffre described how Prince Andrew was asked to guess her age when they first met - and guessed correctly because his daughters were "just a little younger" than her.(Bild: ©Lifetime Television / Everett Collection / picturedesk.com)

In the recently published book entitled "Nobody's Girl", the US-American Giuffre, who died in April, repeated her accusations against Andrew that he had sexually abused her after she was brought to him by Epstein - the term "sex trafficking" is commonly used for this. According to US law, she was still a minor at the time.

"These reprimands are considered necessary despite his continued denial of the allegations against him," the palace explained. "Her Majesty wishes to make it clear that her thoughts and deepest sympathies have been and will continue to be with the victims and survivors of all forms of abuse."