Andrew’s humiliation complete as royal titles stripped to cap off former prince’s downfall: All the latest updates and reaction

For many years Andrew has been dogged by scandal through his one-time friendship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

Following a disastrous interview with BBC Newsnight in 2019, the then Duke of York stepped back from official duties yet he remained in the eye of the storm.

Following more damaging revelations in Virginia Giuffre’s memoir published earlier this month, Buckingham Palace decided to act in his strongest censure yet.

Here’s our video on how Andrew reached his final humiliation:

This is the moment Prince William’s feud with his uncle Prince Andrew was revealed to the world – with the pair caught on camera sharing a frosty exchange at the Duchess of Kent’s funeral.

Last month, Prince William seemingly shunned his uncle on the steps of Westminster Cathedral, where a service had been held for the Duchess of Kent.

Andrew could be seen trying to jovially engage with his nephew in conversation, shortly after her coffin was carried into the state hearse.

He appeared to reminisce with the Prince of Wales about a previous time they spent together, telling him ‘we had a lovely time didn’t we then,’ according to a lip reader.

But William did not reply and simply glanced at his uncle, before studiously looking forward, rubbing his nose and rocking on his heels.

Despite the public humiliation of losing his royal titles, King Charles will be aware Andrew will require ‘care’ going forwards, Jonathan Dimbleby said.

He told BB Radio 4’s Today programme:

I have no doubt at all that he has been consistently embarrassed and frustrated by the way in which his brother has behaved.

At the same time, he is a brother and has to be mindful of that person and I imagine even Prince Andrew now, humiliated and broken, is in need of some degree of care.

You tell me that last time a Prince, the entitlement was removed from him.

Jonathan Dimbleby said the King would have woken up relieved after Buckingham Palace released its bombshell statement on Andrew.

He told the BBC Radio 4’s Today programme:

I think today he will be feeling a measure of relief that after going through due process, constitutionally, legally, being in touch with his family, keeping in touch with number 10.

I think he was well aware that it was chipping away constantly. He went to the Vatican, a really important constitutional and for him spiritual moment to pray with the pope -the first time in 500 years, what was on the front pages… Andrew.

I don’t think he cares about it for his own sake, he is well past that. He cares about it because that is what damages the perception of an institution for which he cares and for which he does everything that he possibly can.

Former BBC royal correspondent Peter Hunt said the royal family remains ‘vulnerable’ to further questions about what they knew and when, and the timing of their decision to act.

He told the PA news agency:

Senior royals acted from a position of fear, not strength. They fear further revelations about Epstein’s relationship with Andrew and they are fearful of remaining out of step with public opinion.

They remain vulnerable to MPs and journalists continuing to ask questions about what they knew when; why didn’t they act sooner; and how did Andrew fund his settlement with Virginia Giuffre?

As they attempt to restore credibility and trust in an ancient institution, they desperately want to avoid questions about royal finances, including ones about the amount of rent they pay for their various properties.

David Yelland, the former editor of the Sun newspaper, said he believes the family of Virginia Giuffre will be invited to Buckingham Palace in the aftermath of Andrew losing his royal titles.

Ms Giuffre took her own life in April and her posthumous memoir Nobody’s Girl was released earlier this month.

Ms Giuffre’s brother Skye and sister-in-law Amanda welcomed the announcement, describing how an ‘ordinary American girl brought down a British prince with her truth and extraordinary courage.’

Speaking on the Today programme, Mr Yelland said he could see the Royal Family reaching out to Ms Giuffre’s relatives in the future.

I think the Guiffre family will be invited to the Palace at some point, It think Camilla will meet the family. I think that is a natural end to this.

Jonathan Dimbleby, a friend, biographer and confidant of King Charles, has today described Andrew as ‘arrogant, boorish, entitled’ and an ’embarrassment’ to the monarchy.

Speaking to the Today programme, Mr Dimbleby said Buckingham Palace’s statement was the result of a ‘culmination’ following revelations in Virginia Guiffre’s posthumous biography in which the former prince ‘clearly lied’.

In New York he mentioned it, when he was with Epstein, strolling, he said he had gone there to break with him, he was lying. He had not gone there to break with him, he continued the relationship.

He now is no longer a prince. Arrogant, borish, entitled, an embarrassment for the long time to the institution of the monarchy and to the King.

Sarah Ferguson has been evicted from Royal Lodge alongside Andrew as the shamed ex-Duke is stripped of his Prince title.

But unlike Andrew, who will move onto a property on the private Sandringham estate, Fergie will make her own arrangements, it is understood.

She has lived with her disgraced ex-husband in their 30-room Grade II-listed mansion since 2008 despite divorcing in 1996.

Her eviction comes just days after Fergie was dumped by ITV after once being hailed a ‘saviour’ of the broadcaster’s daytime schedule.

ITV bosses have confirmed that the former Duchess of York will no longer appear on their shows including Loose Women after she was dropped by a slew of charities.

Prince William and Princess Kate fully support the King’s decision to strip Andrew of his Prince title and evict him from Royal Lodge.

Sources told the Mail that the move was entirely down to the King and his advisors, without pressure from the government or other family members, such as William.

‘The process has been underway for some while but there was a need to get it right in the face of some very big challenges,’ a source said.

Emily Maitlis, the broadcaster who grilled Prince Andrew in his infamous Newsnight interview in 2019, claimed the Prince of Wales may have met with the princesses to give them the ultimatum last week.

Sources told the Daily Mail that Maitlis’s claims were ‘completely wrong’.

Asked about the claims, Kensington Palace said a meeting – or indeed a conversation – between Prince William and his cousins simply never happened. ‘This is not even a decision for him,’ a source added.

After being stripped of his title and evicted from his home, former-Prince Andrew has one thing left – being eighth in line to the throne.

Stripped of his titles, honours and the right to be addressed as ‘His Royal Highness’ following years of scrutiny over his alleged connections to the dead paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein, the 65-year-old’s future now looks dire.

His only tenuous link to the family that has turned their backs on him is the ancient tradition of the line of succession.

But with so many ahead of him, the possibility of Andrew ever being seated on the throne is smaller than ever.

Upon the death of King Charles, the Monarch’s eldest son William, the Prince of Wales, will ascend to the throne.

Next are his children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Louis. As the eldest child, George is second in line, while his sister, younger than him by two years, is third. Louis is next after his sister.

With no royal blood, Catherine, Princess of Wales, is not eligible to be part of the line of succession.

Instead, that honour goes to the Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry. Then comes Prince Archie, as the eldest of the Sussex children, before his sister Princess Lilibet.

Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, is also not part of the line of succession, again because she is not of royal descent.

Finally, behind Harry and Meghan’s four-year-old daughter, Andrew finds his place.

Line of succession to the throne:

• Prince William
• Prince George
• Princess Charlotte
• Prince Louis
• Prince Harry
• Prince Archie
• Princess Lilibet
• Andrew

Anti-German feeling during the First World War prompted the birth of the Mountbatten name.

At the request of King George V (pictured), Prince Louis changed the family name from Battenberg to the anglicised version Mountbatten.

The King himself also changed the royals’ distinctly German name of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and chose Windsor instead.

He declared that ‘henceforth our House and Family shall be styled and known as the House and Family of Windsor’.

Prince Philip, whose mother Alice was Lord Mountbatten’s sister, also adopted the surname when he became a naturalised British subject and renounced his Greek and Danish Royal title in 1947.

He was originally a member of the House of Glucksburg. Following the death of King George VI, Lord Mountbatten proclaimed the ‘house of Mountbatten now reigned’.

A recording of Question Time was interrupted as raucous applause rippled through the audience after they heard disgraced former-prince Andrew would be stripped of his title and house.

Crowds at the BBC show in Bradford reacted in delight after presenter Fiona Bruce revealed that the King’s brother will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor.

Further gleeful clapping could be heard after she announced the 65-year-old, who on Thursday was ranked the most unpopular royal ever, would lose his lease on Royal Lodge and be forced to find his own private accommodation.

The hostile reaction followed Buckingham Palace’s announcement that ties with Andrew would be cut.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, speaking on the show, said removing Andrew’s titles is a ‘really brave, important and right step’ by the King, and sends a ‘powerful message’ to sex abuse victims.

King Charles, 76, made the bombshell announcement about Andrew losing his royal titles and being kicked out of Royal Lodge last night.

His Majesty has today initiated a formal process to remove the Style, Titles and Honours of Prince Andrew. Prince Andrew will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor.

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.

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

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.

The Government ‘warmly’ supports the decision to strip Andrew Mountbatten Windsor of his titles, a minister has said.

Trade minister Sir Chris Bryant told BBC Breakfast:

We warmly, I warmly support what the King is doing today. I think the vast majority of people in this country will think that it’s the right thing to do.

Describing Andrew as now ‘an ordinary member of the public’, Sir Chris suggested he should go to the US to answer questions about the crimes of the late paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein, if asked.

I think that just as with any ordinary member of the public, if there were requests from another jurisdiction of this kind, I would expect any decently-minded person to comply with that request. So I feel exactly there same in this situation.”

What I’m basically saying is that I think that if Andrew is asked to do something by a Senate committee, then I would have thought that he would want to comply.

Royal historian and author Andrew Lownie believes the fallout doesn’t mark ‘the end’ of controversy for the shunned royal, now formally known as Mr Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

‘I don’t think it’s the end of it. I think there are many more disclosures to come, but at least they’re taking some decisive action. So, I don’t think it’s all over for him,’ he told The Mirror.

When queried if he believed a police probe into Andrew was more likely following yesterday’s announcement, he remarked that the ex-duke was being ‘throw[n] under the bus’.

‘Yes, I’ve been saying for some time they’re [the Royal family] going to throw Andrew under the bus to save themselves and this is the first indication of that,’ he added.

Last night, the family of Virginia Guiffre, who alleged Andrew had sex with her three times as a teenager, said the 65-year-old should now face an investigation, telling the BBC he ‘needs to be behind bars’.

Hello and welcome to our live coverage as Andrew starts his first day as a commoner after he was sensationally stripped of his royal titles by his brother King Charles.

From now on, the former Duke of York will simply be known as Mr Andrew Mountbatten Windsor – losing even his birth title of prince.

In a statement last night, Buckingham Palace made it clear the censures were ‘deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him’, a reference to claims by the late Virginia Giuffre that she was sex-trafficked to the late Queen’s son by convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

Later, the Palace added pointedly: ‘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.’

Stick with us throughout the day as we bring you the latest updates and reaction to Andrew losing his royal titles.