Buckingham Palace said Thursday that King Charles’s brother will lose the prince style and leave Royal Lodge after weeks of scrutiny over ties to Jeffrey Epstein. He will be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor and will move to private accommodation on the Sandringham Estate, which the palace says is privately funded by the king. He gave up other titles earlier this month, among them the Duke of York. The government backed the decision. His daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, keep their titles, and he remains eighth in line to the throne. Sarah Ferguson will move out and has reverted to her maiden name. The palace said the actions support victims of abuse and noted he continues to deny allegations.
Pressure intensified after a memoir by Virginia Giuffre repeated accusations, and after 2011 emails resurfaced that showed contact with Epstein months after Andrew said the friendship had ended. Questions about Royal Lodge finances also mounted. A lease and audit report showed more than £8 million paid upfront for renovations and notional rent on a 75-year term, which reduced yearly rent obligations. Reports also said Epstein visited Royal Lodge for Princess Beatrice’s 2006 birthday.
Pressure intensified after a memoir by Virginia Giuffre repeated accusations, and after 2011 emails resurfaced that showed contact with Epstein months after Andrew said the friendship had ended. Questions about Royal Lodge finances also mounted. A lease and audit report showed more than £8 million paid upfront for renovations and notional rent on a 75-year term, which reduced yearly rent obligations. Reports also said Epstein visited Royal Lodge for Princess Beatrice’s 2006 birthday.
