Prince Andrew to lose title, will be evicted from royal residence

King Charles III will strip his brother Prince Andrew of his remaining titles and evict him from his royal residence, Buckingham Palace said on Thursday. 

The move comes after revelations about Andrew's relationship with convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein. 

Dig deeper:

Although Charles was involved in discussions with Andrew before he announced he would relinquish his dukedom two weeks ago, the king had largely managed to steer clear of the scandal until this week.

The backstory:

Prince Andrew's association with Epstein has long plagued the royal family. Andrew announced he was stepping back from his royal role after participating in an interview with the BBC in 2019.

Andrew faced a new round of public opprobrium after emails emerged earlier this month showing he had remained in contact with Epstein longer than he previously admitted.

That news was followed by publication of "Nobody's Girl," by Giuffre, who alleged she had sex with Andrew when she was 17. The book detailed three alleged sexual encounters with Andrew, who she said acted as if he believed "having sex with me was his birthright."

Andrew, 65, has long denied Giuffre’s claims, but stepped down from royal duties after a disastrous November 2019 BBC interview in which he attempted to rebut her allegations.

Andrew paid millions in an out-of-court settlement in 2022 after Giuffre filed a civil suit against him in New York. While he didn’t admit wrongdoing, he acknowledged Giuffre’s suffering as a victim of sex trafficking.

What they're saying:

"These censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him," the palace said. "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."