In a definitive action that reshapes the inner workings of the monarchy, the sovereign has formally severed his brother’s official connections to the royal institution. The decision involves the removal of all styles, titles, and honours, with the individual now to be known simply as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor.
A formal notice has also been issued for him to vacate his current residence, a property held under a royal lease. He is expected to relocate to private accommodations. The measures were described as necessary, irrespective of the subject’s continued denial of the allegations that have long surrounded him.
This development follows a recent statement from the individual in which he announced he would be voluntarily stepping back from certain royal duties. He stated at the time that he wished to avoid being a distraction to the King and the wider work of the family, while reaffirming his denial of the accusations.
The controversy stems from allegations made by a woman who was involved with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. She had previously claimed she was forced into a sexual encounter with the royal when she was a teenager, a claim he has consistently denied. The matter was ultimately resolved through a private, out-of-court settlement after she filed a lawsuit.
Tragically, the accuser died by suicide earlier this year. Details of her account were published posthumously in a memoir, where she described an encounter she said was brief and characterized by a sense of entitlement from the royal figure.
