King Charles Revokes His Sister Andrew's Prince Title Regarding Jeffrey Epstein's Scandal

JAKARTA - King of England Charles III has revoked his sister's prince Andrew's title and forced him out of his home in Windsor, Buckingham Palace said on Thursday, in an attempt to keep the royal family away from him due to ties to the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.

Andrew, 65, Charles' younger brother and late Queen Elizabeth II's second son, have been under growing pressure in recent years over his behavior and his relationship with the late perpetrator of sexual crimes, Epstein. Earlier this month, he was forced to stop using the Duke of York title.

King Charles III has now stepped up his actions against Andrew by revoking all of his titles, so he is only known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor.

Buckingham Palace statement stated that an official notice had been made to Andrew to hand over the rental of his mansion at the Royal Lodge in Windsor Estate, west of London, and he would move to alternative private accommodation at Sandringham Estate in eastern England.

King Charles III' decision marks one of the most dramatic steps towards a member of the royal family in modern British history.

"This condemnation is deemed necessary, although he continues to deny the accusations against him," the palace said.

"His Majesty wants to emphasize that their deepest thoughts and sympathy have been, and will remain together, the victims and survivors of all forms of harassment," he continued.

Long before, Andrew was once considered a dashing naval officer and served in the military during the Falklands War with Argentina in the early 1980s.

However, he was forced to resign from his role as British trade ambassador in 2011, before resigning from all royal duties in 2019 and was later lifted from military ties and royal protection in 2022, amid allegations of sexual harassment he has always denied.

Earlier this month, a correspondence between Andrew and Epstein from 2011, published by Mail on Sunday and The Sun, revealed Andrew told Epstein they should "stay in touch" and that they would "play again soon".

A palace source said that although Andrew continued to deny the accusations against him, there had clearly been serious misassessment. The source said the decision was taken by King Charles III, but received support from the extended family, including the heir to the throne, Prince William.

The decision to force Andrew to move from Windsor was also important after the newspaper reported he had not paid his mansion rental which contained 30 rooms for two decades, having previously paid for renovations.

In a rare political intervention into the royal family's workings, a British Parliamentary committee on Wednesday questioned whether Andrew should still live in the house.

Polls show that the royal family has lost support from the younger generation over the years. King Charles, with the support of 43-year-old William, has acted to protect the institution, which experts say is a priority for every king.

In 1936, Edward VIII was forced to abdicate, more than a year after taking the throne, in order for him to marry a divorced American socialite. He defended the Duke of Windsor title but was mostly expelled from England.