Why Andrew is an ex-Prince

Why Andrew Mountbatten Windsor is an ex-Prince

Last Friday, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, known up until then as Prince Andrew, had his remaining titles removed by his brother, King Charles. It’s a line in the sand on the Epstein scandal that has followed the former prince for 2 decades, and a strong sign that the Royal Family is prepared to make hard decisions to preserve the future of the monarchy… So in this Squiz Shortcut, we’ll look at:

• what led up to the King’s decision

• how it played out

• and what the fallout could be…

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Squiz the Shortcut

Is this an unprecedented move by King Charles?
It’s been described as the most consequential decision he’s made since taking the throne, but it’s not the first time that a Royal has been stripped of their titles by a monarch. 

When was the last time?
It’s been a minute… The closest historical comparison we’ve got is in 1919 when Prince Ernest Augustus and Prince Charles Edward had their British titles revoked for siding with Germany during World War I. 

So, what does it mean for Andrew?
His style, titles and honours have been removed, meaning he’ll no longer be called Prince, and he won’t be addressed as His Royal Highness - it’s just plain Andrew Mountbatten Windsor from now on… He’s also losing his Dukedom and his other titles - including his naval honorary rank of Vice-Admiral - plus he’s also being ordered to move out of Royal Lodge…

Tell me about his house…
Royal Lodge is the 30-room mansion he’s lived in for more than 20 years. It’s part of the Windsor Castle estate, and he’s been living there since signing a 75-year lease for it with the Crown back in 2004, when his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth, offered it to him. And his housemate is his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson (they’re apparently still very good friends), so she’s got to find somewhere else to live now. She’s losing her title of Duchess of York too... 

Do their daughters get to keep their titles?
Yes, they’ll still be known as Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie… But the fall from grace has been huge for their father. Since the news broke, there has been plenty of soul-searching going on in the British media about where things went wrong for the former prince, who was widely believed to have been his mother’s favourite when she was alive.

So, how did we get here?
The main scandal at the centre of it all stems from allegations that Andrew sexually assaulted a teenage girl named Virginia Roberts (later known as Giuffre), whom he met through his friendship with the convicted sex offender and pedophile Jeffrey Epstein…

Remind me about Virginia Giuffre…
You might remember hearing in April this year that Giuffre died by suicide aged 41yo at her farm in Western Australia. She moved here in 2002, and her memoir Nobody's Girl was published posthumously last month. And the contents of the book have added to pressure building against Andrew over the past month…

What was in her memoir?
It further detailed her account of what happened during the 4 years she worked for Epstein as his personal masseuse, and how he trafficked her around to his wealthy friends and clients, including the former prince. On 3 occasions, she claims she was sexually assaulted by Andrew, which he denies. Epstein died in jail in 2019, and at the time, court documents show Giuffre was one of at least 200 of his alleged victims…

How did Andrew meet Epstein?
Epstein was the wealthy financier boyfriend of Andrew’s friend Ghislaine Maxwell. She introduced them in the late 1990s, and they became friends - close enough for Epstein and Maxwell to attend parties at Royal venues including Royal Lodge and Windsor Castle… Epstein was first convicted of procuring a teenager for prostitution in 2008, but while other high-profile associates of his distanced themselves, Andrew stayed in contact. 

Just explain that a bit more…
Epstein served 13 months’ jail in Florida for that offence, and after he was released in 2010, the former prince visited him in New York - there’s a well-circulated photograph of them walking together in Central Park… Andrew later said that the visit was to end the friendship, but we now know that wasn’t the whole story.

How do we know that?
Because emails have come to light this year through court documents that show Andrew was still in touch with him in 2011. The British press published quotes from a couple of them, where Andrew wrote to Epstein: “We're in this together” and in another, he wrote: “Keep in close touch and we’ll play some more soon!!!!”... That contradicted what he said in his now infamous 2019 BBC Newsnight interview with journalist Emily Maitlis.

Why did he do that TV interview?
It was meant to clear his name and be a good PR exercise after a photograph of him with Giuffre had surfaced in allegations she’d made against Epstein... That’s another photo that’s been widely published in the media, and it shows the former prince with his arm around a 17yo Giuffre upstairs at Maxwell’s house in 2001. 

Remind me how the interview went…
It was a disaster… Andrew denied ever having met Giuffre - he suggested the photo could’ve been “doctored” - and he denied having any sexual contact with her. The public reaction was swift. The next day, he was widely panned in the press as coming across as “tone deaf” and “arrogant”.

What was the fallout?
It effectively ended his career as a working Royal. Days after it aired, he stepped away from official duties, but the scandal didn’t go away… Giuffre lodged civil suits in New York separately against Epstein and Maxwell, which were settled with funds going to a charity she’d established for Epstein’s victims. 

Did she sue Andrew?
Yes… In 2021, she launched a civil lawsuit in the same state against him, saying: “I am holding Prince Andrew accountable for what he did to me … The powerful and rich are not exempt from being held responsible for their actions”. In it, she accused him of sexual abuse, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. 

Was there a hearing?
No… It too was settled out of court in 2022, and a sizable payment (reported to have been around $24 million) was made to the same victims’ charity. Andrew has never admitted any guilt, but said he acknowledged Giuffre’s suffering “as an established victim of abuse”. 

How did he fund that payment?
Reports say he sold a Swiss ski chalet and also received a loan from the King, but questions over how he funds his luxury lifestyle have followed him around in recent years as much as the Epstein scandal. 

Tell me a bit more about that…
An unauthorised biography by Andrew Lownie, published in August about the former prince, called Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, claimed that he owned a fleet of luxury cars, including a top-of-the-line Bentley, and a collection of expensive watches. It fuelled public scrutiny over the fact that he was paying no rent for Royal Lodge, which has been seen as an unfair perk for a Royal who was no longer working… And last year, his links to a Chinese businessman accused of being a spy also came to light, which didn’t help his standing with the Palace.

So, what was the final straw?
In light of the claims in both Lownie’s book and Giuffre’s memoir, the former prince agreed in mid-October to give up some of his titles. But last week, at a public appearance at a cathedral, King Charles was heckled by a protester asking about Andrew…

What did the protestor say?
As King Charles greeted the crowd, a man shouted at him: “How long have you known about Andrew and Epstein?”... Royal watchers say the encounter left the King “deeply rattled”. They say he sees himself as a “caretaker King” and that he’s determined to leave the monarchy for Prince William without any messes to clean up.

When you say ‘Royal watchers’...?
We’ll admit these are all hot takes from ‘palace sources’ quoted in the British media - but there are certainly a lot of them saying that William has been pushing his father to take stronger action against Andrew to protect the monarchy’s reputation. And it seems that Andrew has agreed to go quietly… 

What has the reaction been?
The British Government has supported the move, and both the government and the palace said in their statements that they stand with the victims of sexual assault. 

So, what’s next for Andrew?
The former prince isn’t likely to be seen at public Royal events again. He’ll move after Christmas to a property on the King’s Sandringham estate funded privately by Charles, but his reputation is in shreds… 

Is he still in line for the throne?
Yes… For the moment, he remains eighth in line for the throne - to remove him would take an act of Parliament, and there are no plans for that as yet. What he is facing, though, is more questions from the British Police. 

What’s happening there?
They’re investigating claims that Andrew asked his security staff to “dig up dirt” on Virginia Giuffre, and they’re under pressure from some MPs to reopen the investigation into the allegations detailed in her memoir.

What has Virginia Giuffre’s family said?
Giuffre’s family said the King Charles’ actions had vindicated her. Her sister-in-law, Amanda, praised the King for "setting a precedent for the rest of the world leaders out there to actually come forward and say ‘even if it is my brother I'm going to hold him to account.’”

Will this be something King Charles is remembered for?
Yep… It’s set to be one of the defining moves of his reign, with many royal commentators saying he took a hard but necessary step to protect the monarchy. 

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Onto our Recommendations

Reading:This Town & Country Magazine story which looks back through history at the relationship between King Charles and his younger brother…

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Dropping us a line or a voice memo: We’ve got our regular monthly episode of Ask the Squiz coming up - so if you’ve got a question for us, you can submit it via email at [email protected] or, for the first time, via voice message. Here’s the link to do that…

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