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King Charles III has officially stripped his brother, Prince Andrew, of all remaining royal titles and privileges over his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Getting into it: For over a decade, Prince Andrew has faced intense scrutiny over his association with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, both convicted of sex trafficking minors. Virginia Giuffre accused Andrew of sexually abusing her on multiple occasions when she was 17, claiming she had been trafficked to him by Epstein with Maxwell’s involvement. Andrew has denied all allegations, insisting he never met Giuffre and suggesting a now-infamous photo of them together was fabricated. In 2022, Andrew reached a multimillion-dollar out-of-court settlement with Giuffre in a US civil lawsuit without admitting wrongdoing, stating that he acknowledged her suffering as a victim of abuse but maintained his innocence. Throughout the controversy, Andrew has argued that his friendship with Epstein was a “serious error in judgment,” yet has denied any criminal behavior or sexual misconduct.

What’s going on now: In a notable development, Buckingham Palace confirmed that King Charles III has “initiated a formal process to remove the Style, Titles and Honours of Prince Andrew,” effectively erasing his remaining royal status. As a result, Andrew will no longer be referred to as “Prince” and will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. Alongside the stripping of titles, Andrew has also been served with formal notice to vacate Royal Lodge, his longtime 30-room residence on the Windsor estate.

The palace confirmed that “his lease on Royal Lodge has, to date, provided him with legal protection to continue in residence. Formal notice has now been served to surrender the lease and he will move to alternative private accommodation.” He is expected to relocate to a smaller residence on the Sandringham estate, which is privately owned by the King. Buckingham Palace noted that the move will take place “as soon as it is practicable,” and that Andrew will receive private financial support from his brother to assist with the transition.

They also stressed that these actions were taken despite Andrew’s continued denials, stating, “These censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him.”