Prince Andrew, the third-eldest child of the late Queen Elizabeth II, has officially been stripped of all his royal titles. This extends to his assignment of being “Prince.” On October 30, Buckingham Palace dropped a major bombshell. Going forward, Andrew will use the surname Mountbatten Windsor. This historic change marks the start of a new chapter for the Duke of York. He has been under constant fire over the associations of his past.
In removing Andrew’s titles, King Charles III hopes to keep the monarchy away from the kind of controversy that surrounded his brother. This includes the Earldom of Inverness and Baron Killyleagh, which highlight his link to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The palace explained that this decision is a matter of great importance. It seeks to preserve for the people the dignity of the royal family and the sanctity of their duties.
Just earlier in October, Andrew had already stated that he wouldn’t be using his Duke of York title anymore. In a public statement issued by the palace, he addressed the negative effects of continued charges filed against him.
“The continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family.” – Prince Andrew
The formal removal of Andrew’s titles was gazetted in The Gazette, finalising his transition to the newly-minted Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. In other words, Andrew was stripped of the title “His Royal Highness.” As a result, he was removed from his appointments in the Order of the Garter and Knight Grand Cross of the Victorian Order.
Buckingham Palace were very clear that these decisions are an indication of their continuing desire to provide redress to victims and survivors of abuse.
“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.” – Buckingham Palace
The palace further noted, “These censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him.” The amendments follow a period of increased public scrutiny towards the royal family’s integrity and accountability.
Prince Andrew, King Charles III’s brother and disgraced royal King Charles became king when his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, died at the age of 96 in 2022. As Andrew embarks on a future bereft of titles and his former privileges, he will have to find his way far from the royal stage.
