First Revocation of a Princely Title in Over 100 Years
Ordered to Vacate Royal Residence
King Charles III Expected to Personally Cover Living Expenses
The British royal family has stripped Prince Andrew, the younger brother of King Charles III, of his princely title and ordered him to vacate his royal residence. Prince Andrew has faced allegations of forcibly engaging in sexual relations with a minor who was employed by Jeffrey Epstein, an American sex offender of minors. On October 31, Yonhap News, citing sources such as the BBC and AP, reported that Buckingham Palace announced, "King Charles III has initiated official procedures to strip Prince Andrew of his title, status, and honors." As a result, Prince Andrew will now be referred to as "Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor," and his lease for the Royal Lodge near Windsor Castle will be terminated. He is expected to move to the Sandringham estate, with King Charles III reportedly covering his living expenses personally.
Charles III (right) reportedly made this decision because he judged that the royal authority had been significantly damaged as controversies surrounding Prince Andrew (left) related to the Epstein scandal continued. Photo by AP Yonhap News
This decision takes immediate effect, and the title will be officially revoked once the royal documents are delivered to the Minister of Justice. Accordingly, Prince Andrew will lose not only his titles as prince, Duke of York, Earl of Inverness, and Earl of Killyleagh, but also major honors such as the Order of the Garter and the Royal Victorian Order. It is reported that King Charles III made this decision because he judged that the royal authority had been significantly damaged as controversies surrounding Prince Andrew related to the Epstein scandal continued.
It is extremely rare for a princely title to be revoked in the United Kingdom. Foreign media reported that this is the first such case since Prince Ernest Augustus lost his title in 1919 for collaborating with Germany during World War I. Previously, Prince Andrew, the second son of Queen Elizabeth II, had faced allegations of forcibly engaging in sexual relations with Virginia Giuffre, who was employed by American billionaire and minor sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, when she was 17 years old. Although he settled a civil lawsuit filed by Giuffre in 2022, he did not admit any responsibility.
Prince Andrew has been accused of forcibly engaging in sexual relations with a minor who was employed by Jeffrey Epstein, an American minor sex offender. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News
Afterwards, in 2019, he withdrew from royal duties, and in 2022, he lost his military roles and the honorific "His Royal Highness" (HRH). However, when additional allegations related to Epstein surfaced recently, he announced on the 17th that he would voluntarily relinquish his titles, including Duke of York, but the controversy did not subside. Amid worsening public opinion following the posthumous publication of Giuffre's memoir, it is interpreted that King Charles III ultimately took the drastic step of personally stripping him of his titles.
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