King Charles strips Andrew of royal titles, Windsor home

LONDON - King Charles III is stripping his younger brother Andrew of his royal titles and ousting him from his long-term residence on the Windsor estate, the palace said on Thursday, the latest fallout to hit the scandal-plagued royal over the Jeffrey Epstein affair.

"Prince Andrew will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor," Buckingham Palace said, adding Charles had begun the formal process to remove all his brother's titles.

Andrew has also been told to move out of his long-time home on Windsor Castle's sprawling grounds, and he will move "to alternative private accommodation" as soon as possible.

The announcement followed a torrent of outrage at renewed accusations of sexual assault made by one of Jeffrey Epstein's main accusers against the 65-year-old, who has denied the charges.

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

"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," it added.

It comes days after the posthumous publication of Virginia Giuffre's memoir, in which the victim of US sex offender Epstein reiterated in shocking detail allegations that she was trafficked to have sex with Andrew three times, including twice when she was only 17.

It is understood that Andrew did not object to the king's decision, and that the UK government has been consulted.

Giuffre took her own life in April, aged 41, while Epstein died by suicide in 2019 in prison awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges.

Giuffre's family, which had pushed for Andrew's title of prince to be removed, hailed the move Thursday, saying in a statement to the BBC that "today, she declares a victory".

"Today, an ordinary American girl from an ordinary American family brought down a British prince with her truth and extraordinary courage," they said.

"Virginia Roberts Giuffre, our sister, a child when she was sexually assaulted by Andrew, never stopped fighting for accountability for what had happened to her and countless other survivors like her."

Andrew who is the second son of the late queen Elizabeth II, has repeatedly denied the allegations.

But he had agreed to pay US and Australian citizen Giuffre millions of dollars in 2022 to end her civil sexual assault case against him.

PUBLIC ANGER

Adding to the outcry following Giuffre's bestselling memoir, The Times revealed last week that the prince had only paid a minimal rent for the past two decades on his Royal Lodge home in the Windsor estate, where he lives with ex-wife Sarah Ferguson.

The arrangement stems from a seemingly favourable 2003 deal for the mansion owned by the Crown Estate, the royal family's independently run land and property holdings.

Moves to oust Andrew from Royal Lodge have gathered pace in the past days, given new urgency by the pending move of Charles's son Prince William, heir to the throne, his wife Kate and their children, into a new home not far away from the lodge.

In yet another revelation, the BBC reported this week that Andrew hosted Epstein, his girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell - who is imprisoned for trafficking - and former US film producer Harvey Weinstein, now jailed for rape, at the Lodge in 2006 for his daughter Beatrice's 18th birthday.

Meanwhile, public anger has grown. On Monday the king was heckled during a visit to a cathedral when a man in the crowd shouted out: "How long have you known about Andrew and Epstein?"

Andrew however had dug his heels in and was reportedly only prepared to leave the Royal Lodge if he could move into Frogmore Cottage, the former home of his nephew Prince Harry and his wife Meghan.

Andrew was also reportedly demanding that Ferguson be allowed to move into Adelaide Cottage, once it is vacated by William and his family.

It was understood Thursday that Andrew will move to the king's estate in Sandringham, eastern Norfolk, and will be privately funded by Charles.

Ferguson will make her own arrangements.

His daughters, Beatrice and Eugenie, will retain their titlesas princesses.

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