King Charles has officially revoked his brother Prince Andrew Mountbatten Windsor’s royal titles and style, marking the end of his status as a prince and Duke of York. The changes were formalized through Letters Patent issued under the Great Seal of the Realm and published in The Gazette, the UK’s official public record, by the Crown Office.
The official notice, dated November 3, 2025, states: “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’.”
This decisive move follows years of scandal surrounding Andrew’s association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Allegations of sexual abuse by Virginia Giuffre, who claims she was trafficked by Epstein, have long overshadowed Andrew’s public life. Though he has consistently denied these allegations, his reputation and that of the royal family suffered significant damage.
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Adding to the formalities, a previous entry mandated Andrew’s removal from the Roll of Peerage as Duke of York, effective immediately. The statement read: “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.”
These actions conclude Andrew’s official ties with the monarchy, rendering him a commoner. The royal family hopes that this formal severance will shift public attention toward King Charles’s upcoming responsibilities, including his anticipated speech at the COP30 climate summit in Brazil and the UK’s Remembrance events.
Nevertheless, some issues remain unresolved. Andrew remains eighth in line to the throne despite losing his royal titles, and questions persist over how he secured an exceptionally low peppercorn rent on Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park for over 20 years. The Public Accounts Committee has raised concerns about value for money, prompting inquiries involving the Treasury and Crown Estate.
Andrew is expected to leave Royal Lodge and relocate to the King’s private estate at Sandringham in Norfolk early next year, entering a form of internal exile. In October, ahead of the release of Virginia Giuffre’s memoirs, Andrew voluntarily ceased using his Duke of York title but retained his princely status until the recent announcement.
In 2022, Andrew paid millions to settle a civil suit related to sexual assault allegations brought by Giuffre, though he maintained that he never met her. New revelations showed emails between Andrew and Epstein from 2011, including one where he wrote, “we’re in this together,” contradicting his claims of severing ties with Epstein.
Further investigations by the Metropolitan Police are probing allegations that Andrew passed Giuffre’s personal information to a taxpayer-funded bodyguard in an attempt to investigate her.
The King, with support from Prince William and the wider royal family, made the definitive decision on October 30 to strip Andrew of all styles, titles, and honours due to “serious lapses of judgment,” bringing closure to a painful chapter in the monarchy’s history.