King Charles III strips Prince Andrew of his titles and evicts him from the Royal Lodge

Prince Andrew leaves attending the Easter Matins Service at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, England, April 20. Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP hide caption

toggle caption

Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP

LONDON — King Charles III is stripping his brother Prince Andrew of his remaining titles and evicting him from his royal residence, Buckingham Palace said Thursday.

In a statement, the palace said Andrew will be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor and not as a prince, and he will move from his Royal Lodge residence into "private accommodation."

The move follows revelations about Andrew's relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Pressure had been growing on the palace to oust the prince from Royal Lodge after he surrendered his use of the title Duke of York earlier this month over his friendship with Epstein and allegations by one of Epstein's victims, Virginia Roberts Giuffre.

But the king went even further, stripping him of the title of prince that he has had since birth as a child of a monarch, the late Queen Elizabeth II.

"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."