King Charles III has delivered a devastating blow to his younger brother Andrew, stripping him of his final royal honors and evicting him from his longtime residence in an unprecedented move that effectively erases him from the royal family.
On Monday, Dec. 1, 2025, the king formally canceled Andrew’s membership in the Order of the Garter, one of Britain’s highest chivalries. His Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order was also annulled, according to an official statement published in the Gazette, the United Kingdom’s official public record.
“THE KING has directed that the appointment of Andrew Albert Christian Edward MOUNTBATTEN-WINDSOR to be a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, dated 23 April 2006, shall be cancelled and annulled and that his name shall be erased from the Register of the said Order,” the statement read.
The latest censures follow the king’s explosive decision in late October to strip Andrew of his prince title and force him out of Royal Lodge, the mansion where the 65-year-old had resided for years. On Oct. 30, 2025, Buckingham Palace announced that Andrew would no longer be known as a prince but simply known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor.
The palace also served formal notice requiring Andrew to surrender his lease on Royal Lodge and relocate to private accommodation on the Sandringham estate. His ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, who had been living with him at the residence, will make separate living arrangements.
The royal family’s dramatic actions stem from Andrew’s long-standing association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and serious allegations made by Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who died in April 2025 by suicide at the age of 41. Giuffre had alleged she was sex trafficked to Andrew when she was 17 years old.
The publication of Giuffre’s posthumous memoir earlier this year detailed alleged sexual encounters with Andrew. Fresh scrutiny intensified when emails emerged showing Andrew had remained in contact with Epstein longer than he had previously admitted to the public.
Andrew had already stepped down from royal duties in November 2019, following a disastrous BBC interview during which he attempted to rebut Giuffre’s allegations. He has consistently denied her claims.
Despite his denials, Andrew reached an out-of-court settlement with Giuffre in 2022 after she filed a civil lawsuit against him in New York. While he did not admit wrongdoing in the settlement, he acknowledged Giuffre’s suffering as a victim of sex trafficking.
“These censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him,” Buckingham 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.”
The removal of Andrew’s princely title is virtually unprecedented in modern British royal history. The title had been Andrew’s birthright as the son of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
Earlier in the month, before the Monday announcement, Andrew had already surrendered his use of the Duke of York title along with Earl of Inverness, Baron Killyleagh and the designation “His Royal Highness.” The Order of the Garter and Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order were among the last vestiges of his royal standing.
Despite the sweeping removal of titles and honors, Andrew remains eighth in line to the throne. His daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, will retain their princess titles as the granddaughters of Queen Elizabeth II.
Andrew is expected to relocate to a property on the king’s Sandringham estate and will receive private financial support from his brother. Sandringham, a sprawling royal property, has historically served as a private retreat for the royal family away from the public eye of London residences like Buckingham Palace.
The systematic dismantling of Andrew’s royal status marks one of the most severe actions taken against a member of the British royal family in modern times. It reflects the monarchy’s attempt to distance itself from scandal while expressing solidarity with abuse survivors, though critics have questioned why such decisive action took years to materialize.
The fall from grace is complete for a man who once held some of Britain’s most prestigious titles and honors. From prince to private citizen, Andrew’s transformation represents a cautionary tale about the limits of royal privilege in an era demanding greater accountability from those in positions of power and influence.