Andrew Mountbatten Windsor Stripped of Royal Title Amid Epstein Fallout
By Enya Gleeson
On November 3rd, The Gazette, the official public record, announced that King Charles III has stripped Andrew Mountbatten Windsor of the style and title of His Royal Highness and the dignity of Prince. The notice stated that the King had been “pleased by Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the Realm” to declare that Andrew Mountbatten Windsor “shall no longer be entitled to hold and enjoy” these honours. [1]
The announcement followed a statement released by Buckingham Palace on October 30th confirming that the King had “initiated a formal process to remove the Style, Titles and Honours of Prince Andrew.” The Palace also confirmed that Mountbatten Windsor’s lease on the Royal Lodge would be surrendered and that he would relocate to a private residence. [2]
This is the second major royal reprimand in response to Mountbatten Windsor’s association with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In November 2019, the late Queen Elizabeth II permitted him to step back from public duties following mounting scrutiny over his relationship with Epstein and allegations made by Virginia Roberts Giuffre.
“This is the strongest action against a member of the royal family,” former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond told Sky News on 30 October. “The King is acting very much in harmony with public, media and parliament opinion.” [3]
Pressure for action intensified following Giuffre’s 2021 lawsuit, which alleged that she was sexually trafficked by Epstein and forced to have sex with Mountbatten Windsor when she was 17, allegations he has consistently denied. The case was settled in February 2022, when Mountbatten Windsor made a substantial financial donation to Giuffre’s charity for abuse survivors, though he made no admission of guilt. It was formally dismissed the following month.
Giuffre died by suicide on 25 April this year, her family confirmed in a statement to CBS News. After her death, the case became a rallying point for survivors of Epstein’s abuse. Speaking on BBC Newsnight on 30 October, Giuffre’s brother, Sky and sister-in-law, Amanda Roberts, said they felt the removal of Mountbatten Windsor’s titles was overdue. [4]
“He’s just Andrew. He’s no longer a prince,” said Sky Roberts. “This normal girl from a normal family has taken down a prince.” [4]
The political ramifications have now spread beyond the UK. On 6 November, the US House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform issued a letter to Mountbatten Windsor requesting his cooperation in its investigation into Epstein’s sex-trafficking network.
“It has been publicly reported that your friendship with Mr Epstein began in 1999 and that you remained close through and after his 2008 conviction for procuring minors for prostitution,” the committee wrote. [5]
The letter was followed by the release of documents on 11 November provided by the U.S. Department of Justice, which include email correspondence between Mountbatten Windsor, ‘The Duke’, Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
In one email dated 4 March 2011, Mountbatten Windsor wrote, “Please make sure that every statement or legal letter states clearly that I am NOT involved and I knew NOTHING about any of these allegations.”
The date contradicts his claim in a 2019 Newsnight interview with Emily Maitlis that his contact with Epstein ended in December 2010.
The committee’s actions come amid increasing public and political pressure in the US to release all federal documents relating to Epstein. Advocates argue that transparency is essential to uncover the full extent of Epstein’s network and the individuals connected to it.
“It’s time to bring the secrets out of the shadows,” said Epstein survivors featured in a video PSA released by the anti-trafficking group World Without Exploitation on Sunday, 16 November. [6]
President Trump, speaking aboard Air Force One on 2 November, expressed sympathy for the Royal Family.
“I feel very badly. I mean, it’s a terrible thing that’s happened to the family,” he told CNN. [7]
Trump’s comments follow his state visit to the UK in late September, during which he posted photographs with the King and Queen on X, saying, “It was great being with King Charles, Queen Camilla, and the Royal Family.”
It was great being with King Charles, Queen Camilla, and the Royal Family! pic.twitter.com/XFxJAH7aF2
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 1, 2025
Trump had previously criticised the focus on the release of Epstein files, describing the issue as a “hoax” in a July post on Truth Social.
However, on 16 November, he reversed his position, writing, “Republicans should vote to release the Epstein files, because we have nothing to hide, and it’s time to move on from this Democrat Hoax perpetrated by Radical Left Lunatics.”
Two days later, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 427-1 to require the Department of Justice to release the full archive within 30 days. The Senate has approved the bill, and on 19 November, Trump announced on Truth Social that he had signed the bill. However, signing the bill doesn’t guarantee the release of the files, as the bill includes provisions that protect ongoing investigations. [8]
Meanwhile, the oversight committee has said it has received no response from Mountbatten Windsor, despite requesting a reply by 20 November.
Mountbatten Windsor “has been hiding from us,” committee member Suhas Subramanyam told The Guardian on 17 November. “And I think he will continue to try to hide from people doing meaningful investigations of this matter.” [9]
Neither Mountbatten Windsor nor his legal representatives have issued a statement.
References:
[1] Crown Office, “The Gazette: Notice 4992102,” Thegazette.co.uk, 2025, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/notice/4992102.
[2] “A Statement from Buckingham Palace,” The Royal Family, October 30, 2025, https://www.royal.uk/news-and-activity/2025-10-30/a-statement-from-buckingham-palace.
[3] Sky News, “Andrew Losing Titles Will ‘Hurt Him’ after ‘His Arrogance Brought Him Down,’” Sky News, October 30, 2025, https://news.sky.com/video/andrew-losing-titles-will-hurt-him-after-his-arrogance-brought-him-down-13460955.
[4] “Newsnight – Andrew Mountbatten Windsor,” BBC iPlayer, 2025, https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m002lg9w/newsnight-andrew-mountbatten-windsor?seriesId=unsliced&page=1.
[5] Sky News, “Congress Letter to Andrew: Read in Full,” Sky News, November 6, 2025, https://news.sky.com/story/congress-requests-andrew-explain-jeffrey-epstein-friendship-read-letter-in-full-13465258.
[6] James Hill and Sarah Beth Hensley, “‘It’s Time to Bring the Secrets out of the Shadows’: Epstein Survivors’ Video Message Urges Release of Files,” ABC News, November 17, 2025, https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/time-bring-secrets-shadows-epstein-survivors-video-message/story?id=127590658.
[7] Manchester Evening News, “President Trump Says He Feels ‘Very Badly’ for the Royal Family. | Manchester Evening News,” Facebook.com, November 2, 2025, https://www.facebook.com/reel/1186875293328156.
[8] Lauren Gambino and Chris Stein, “Senate Agrees Bill to Release Epstein Files after Near-Unanimous House Vote,” the Guardian (The Guardian, November 18, 2025), https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/18/house-vote-epstein-documents.
[9] Chris Stein, “Former Prince Andrew Accused of ‘Hiding’ from US House’s Epstein Inquiry,” the Guardian (The Guardian, November 17, 2025), https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/17/former-prince-andrew-us-house-epstein-inquiry.
