Key Highlights
- The King formally stripped Prince Andrew of his titles and HRH style on Thursday, 6 November 2025.
- Laws were enacted to remove Andrew Mountbatten Windsor from the Roll of Peerage as Duke of York with immediate effect.
- Andrew’s move comes after growing controversy over his links to Jeffrey Epstein and renewed attention on sexual abuse allegations by Virginia Giuffre.
- The decision has been welcomed by the family of Virginia Giuffre, who took her own life in April at age 41.
Formal Removal of Titles and Style
On Thursday, 6 November 2025, King Charles III issued Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the Realm to formally strip Prince Andrew of his titles. The official document published in The Gazette, the UK’s official public record, confirmed that “THE KING has been pleased by Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the Realm dated 3 November 2025 to declare that Andrew Mountbatten Windsor shall no longer be entitled to hold and enjoy the style, title or attribute of ‘Royal Highness’ and the titular dignity of ‘Prince’.”
Further Actions Against Andrew
In a further move, the King also used Warrant under His Royal Sign Manual dated 30 October 2025 to direct his Secretary of State to remove Andrew from the Roll of Peerage as Duke of York with immediate effect. This action was confirmed in another entry published in The Gazette, stating “THE KING has been pleased by Warrant under His Royal Sign Manual dated 30 October 2025 to direct His Secretary of State to cause the Duke of York to be removed from the Roll of the Peerage with immediate effect.”
Losses and Future Accommodation
The removal of Andrew’s titles has significant implications. He will no longer hold royal titles such as Prince, Duke of York, Earl of Inverness, and Baron Killyleagh, nor will he be known as ‘His Royal Highness’. Additionally, his honours including the Order of the Garter and the Knight Grand Cross of the Victorian Order have been removed.
Andrew is also required to surrender his lease at Royal Lodge, Windsor, a 30-room mansion where he has lived for over two decades.
Andrew will now move to private accommodation in Sandringham, Norfolk. Sarah Ferguson, who previously shared the residence with Andrew, will not be housed by Charles and will have to find a new home.
Background and Controversy
The decision comes after growing controversy over Prince Andrew’s links to Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender, financier, and pedophile. Andrew initially announced he would no longer use his royal titles in 2019 following a disastrous interview on the Newsnight program about his friendship with Epstein. However, renewed attention on sexual abuse allegations by one of Epstein’s victims, Virginia Giuffre, who took her own life in April at age 41, has intensified calls for an investigation.
Andrew recently announced he would no longer use his royal titles but his brother Prince Harry vowed to go further after new damaging allegations emerged.
These included reports that Andrew asked a royal close protection officer to “dig up dirt” on Virginia Giuffre. Despite these allegations, Andrew has always denied any wrongdoing. He settled out of court in 2021 with Giuffre for an undisclosed sum believed to be around £12 million.
The move by the King is seen as a significant blow to Prince Andrew’s royal status and his future involvement with official duties within the monarchy. The decision has been welcomed by the family of Virginia Giuffre, who took her own life in April at age 41, amid ongoing calls for an investigation into the allegations against Prince Andrew.
