London, 31 October (H.S.): In a decisive and historic move, King Charles III has stripped his brother Andrew of all remaining royal titles, including that of ‘Prince’. The decision, announced by Buckingham Palace on Thursday, marks an unprecedented fall from grace for the 65-year-old, who will now be known simply as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor.

The move comes after years of controversy surrounding Andrew’s association with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and allegations of sexual assault by Virginia Giuffre.

On Thursday, the family of Ms. Giuffre, who died earlier this year, hailed the King’s decision as a victory for her truth and courage.

In a powerful statement, Giuffre’s family said, Today, an ordinary American girl from an ordinary American family brought down a British prince with her truth and extraordinary courage. They added that Giuffre, who alleged she was sexually assaulted by Andrew as a teenager, never stopped fighting for accountability for what had happened to her and countless other survivors like her.

Buckingham Palace confirmed the formal process to revoke the Style, Titles and Honours of Prince Andrew was initiated by the King. The Palace statement noted, These actions are considered necessary, despite his continued denial of the allegations against him.

In addition to losing his titles, Andrew has been ordered to vacate his long-time residence, Royal Lodge, on the Windsor Estate.The action follows renewed public pressure after the posthumous publication of Giuffre’s memoir, which detailed her allegations against the former prince.

King Charles’s decision to remove his brother’s birthright title is an extremely rare step for the British monarchy, reflecting the gravity of the situation and the damage done to the institution. The Palace concluded its statement by expressing deep sympathy for the victims and survivors of all forms of abuse.

—————

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar