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Andrew will no longer be known as a prince and is to leave Royal Lodge, Buckingham Palace has confirmed. 

In a bombshell statement released tonight, Buckingham Palace said he will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor - with immediate effect.

It comes as the palace said the 'censures are deemed necessary' amid the ongoing Epstein scandal, who Andrew lied about cutting ties with. 

'His Majesty has today initiated a formal process to remove the Style, Titles and Honours of Prince Andrew,' the palace said. 

'Prince Andrew will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. His lease on Royal Lodge has, to date, provided him with legal protection to continue in residence. 

'Formal notice has now been served to surrender the lease and he will move to alternative private accommodation. 

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

'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.'

Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park, Andrew's former home
King Charles III on October 16 during a visit to the High Commission of Australia in London
Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew attending the Royal Ascot in 2019

It is understood the King Charles III is in the process of sending royal warrants to the Lord Chancellor to secure title removals for the Dukedom of York, Prince and 'Royal Highness' from Andrew. His brother is said to have not objected.

Although the former Duke has been stripped of all his remaining titles those of his daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, will remain. 

Amid the controversy it was previously understood that his Majesty Charles was very keen to 'protect' nieces Princess Beatrice, 37, and Princess Eugenie, 35, who remain Her Royal Highnesses as granddaughters of Queen Elizabeth.

'He wouldn't have wanted to sign off on anything that would impact them,' a source told the Daily Mail. 

Andrew's recent departure from the Royal Lodge comes amid an ongoing row over the residence since his dukedom title was stripped earlier this month.

However as of today, it is understood Andrew has been served to surrender the lease and will move out of the residence as soon as practically possible. 

The younger brother of the King will be moved to a property on the Sandringham estate, however the specifics regarding the move are unknown. 

Andrew's ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, will make her own living arrangements after moving out of the royal grounds of Windsor Castle, it is understood. 

The move was entirely down to the King and his advisors, without pressure from the government or other family members, such as Prince William, sources told the Mail. 

‘The process has been underway for some while but there was a need to get it right in the face of some very big challenges,’ an insider said. 

Notice was not served on Andrew to move, it was his lease, so the former duke's decision to serve notice himself, suggesting that he is not fighting the process. 

Andrew has lived at the Grade II-listed mansion on the grounds of Windsor Castle for over two decades with Fergie, despite their divorce in 1996. 

Amid the controversy, his Majesty, King Charles III, was very keen to 'protect' Andrew's daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, who remain Her Royal Highnesses
Prince Andrew pictured horse riding on the Windsor Estate on September 27 this year - the last time he was seen riding in public

It comes a week after the disgraced former duke renounced his titles after King Charles III threatened to have them officially stripped unless he ‘saw sense’.

His Majesty made it clear the would not hesitate to take ‘further action’ if his younger brother continued to cling on to his dukedom and other honours after it emerged he lied about cutting ties with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, The Daily Mail revealed.

And despite the tsunami of growing evidence mounting against him, the 65-year-old was understood to still be 'digging his heel in' with a ‘startling lack of contrition’, in a situation the King deemed ‘intolerable’, sources previously said.

Last week, the row over the Royal Lodge continued to grow amid damning revelations in a posthumous memoir from Andrew's sex abuse accuser Virginia Giuffre, who took her own life this year, aged 41.

Nobody's Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice is scheduled for release in October, with the manuscript finished before she died.

The explosive book revolves around her years spent as a sex slave to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein and his British madam Ghislaine Maxwell.

Extracts published by The Guardian show Ms Giuffre, who said she was trafficked by Epstein three times for sex with Andrew, called the ex-Duke 'entitled' and viewing sex as his 'birthright'.

Prince Andrew, Virginia Giuffre and sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell in a photo reportedly taken in 2001, when Giuffre was 17 years old
Anti-monarchy group Republic says it intends to investigate allegations that the former Duke of York sexually assaulted Virginia Giuffre (pictured)

Within the 400-page autobiography, she also alleged the ex-Duke said 'thank you' in a 'clipped British accent' after their alleged first encounter when she was 17.

She also recalled how Ghislaine Maxwell praised following the encounter, saying, 'You did well, the Prince had fun'.

Prince Andrew denied having sex with Ms Giuffre, but forked out millions in an out of court settlement in February 2022.

The Royal Family had been prepared for the further scandal the book would likely cause, knowing it was to be published this month.

In the wake of the Virginia Giuffre scandal, Prince Andrew is facing a private prosecution over allegations of sexual assault, corruption and misconduct in public office.

Anti–monarchy campaign group Republic says it has instructed lawyers to investigate the prince and, if appropriate, press ahead with legal proceedings.

The Daily Mail understands the allegations it is focusing on relate to allegations he sexually assaulted Virginia Giuffre, that he asked a royal protection officer to look into her background and impropriety when he served as an official UK trade envoy.

But Republic says it is mounting its own bid to take him to court because the legal and political response to the claims has been 'weak and inadequate' to date.

It says it has made a 'powerful, principled argument for justice to be done for the victims of sexual abuse, and for those who corrupt public office to be held accountable'.

Prince Andrew stands next to Prince William and his wife Catherine, Princess of Wales, as they leave Westminster Cathedral at the Duchess of Kent's funeral
Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson (pictured) were said to have previously finally agreed to leave Royal Lodge - but only if they get two alternative houses in return

'If not us, then who?' asked Graham Smith, CEO of the anti–monarchy group.

'It's a devastating indictment on the UK's criminal justice system, police and politicians – not to mention the king and heir – that we must resort to a private prosecution.

'It should be a cause for concern that so many people believe – rightly in my view – that the royals are not treated equally in law. Equality in law is a basic tenet of democracy.

'I firmly believe there is strong enough evidence to justify a serious investigation. The authorities and politicians appear to want to look the other way, while minimising the accusations made against Andrew.

'The truth must prevail and justice must be seen to be done.'

A private prosecution brought by Republic would not involve a statutory prosecutor such as Crown Prosecution Service, which brings cases on behalf of the Crown.

They are commonly brought by organisations such as the RSPCA, but can be brought by private individuals.

In some cases, a party wishing to bring a private prosecution may have to seek the consent of the Government's top legal adviser the Attorney General, or the Director of Public Prosecutions, who is the head of the CPS.

The CPS also has the right to take on a private prosecution - and even to bring it to an end if it considers the prosecution to be brought maliciously.

It comes as scandalous emails from Andrew to Epstein were uncovered by the Mail on Sunday in a world exclusive last week - causing fears more could emerge.

In the astonishing message, the Prince told the paedophile 'we are in this together' a day after the MoS released the infamous picture of the Prince with his alleged then-teenage sex victim Ms Giuffre.

Sarah and Andrew on their wedding day at Westminster Abbey on July 23, 1986
The York family: Beatrice, Sarah, Andrew and Eugenie pictured at a gathering
Andrew attends a military air display event on November 25, 2010 with Abu Dhabi's ruler Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan

He said he was 'concerned' about the impact this newspaper's revelations would have on his friend but reassured the vile billionaire they would 'rise above' press scrutiny.

It was sent to Epstein 12 weeks after Andrew had supposedly ceased all contact with the convicted sex offender.

The leaked email provides definitive proof the Prince lied in his car-crash interview with BBC's Newsnight when he claimed he 'never had any contact' with the disgraced financier after the pair were famously pictured walking together in New York's Central Park in December 2010.

In another world exclusive the Mail on Sunday also exposed a bombshell email revealing how Fergie cynically lied when she publicly disowned the vile billionaire.

It was just weeks after her public statement that she wrote him a gushing private message, describing disgraced Epstein as a 'steadfast, generous and supreme friend' – confessing she only distanced herself from him to save her own reputation. 

Now, the former Duchess of York will be known as plain Sarah Ferguson.  

Following the revelation, Sarah was dropped by seven charities after 'humbly apologising' to paedophile Epstein after disavowing him amid his conviction for child sexual abuse offences.

The bombshell leaked email shows Sarah wrote to the convicted sex offender to 'humbly apologise' in 2011 just weeks after telling the press she had cut all ties with him.

In an earlier interview that year, she described her involvement with Epstein, who had served time for soliciting prostitution from a minor, as a 'gigantic error of judgment'.

The organisations who have since cut ties with the Duchess include the Teenage Cancer Trust, which she had backed since 1990, the British Heart Foundation, children's hospice charity Julia's House and Prevent Breast Cancer.

A spokesperson for Sarah said the email was sent to counter an aggressive threat Epstein had made to sue her for defamation.

The scandalous emails piled on the pressure for the Royal Family to severe ties with the ex-Yorks, with internal talks beginning after Prince William was left 'seething' by his uncle's behaviour at the Duchess of Kent's funeral last month 

Andrew was pictured sidling up to the Prince and Princess of Wales, which the heir to the throne saw as him being distracted from the ceremony.

No 10 has also reportedly been pressuring the royals to deal with the scandal, which has run on for years and saw Andrew step back from public life in 2019.

The intervention from Downing Street came after the Prince was entangled in the ongoing Chinese spying row. 

Further embarrassment descended when it was revealed Andrew met with the 'spymaster' at the heart of the collapsed China spy case at least three times.

Andrew is set to leave his home at Royal Lodge (pictured) with his ex–wife, the former Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson is said to be responsible for making her own arrangements

The under-fire royal, already mired in controversy over his friendship with another alleged Beijing spy, forged links with Chinese Communist Party (CCP) mandarin Cai Qi, with the pair posing as they celebrated 'jointly building a golden era in China-UK relations'.

Prosecutors now believe Cai was presiding over a massive intelligence-gathering operation to steal British secrets, overseeing the alleged activities of parliamentary researcher Christopher Cash and China-based English teacher Christopher Berry.

Both men have denied any wrongdoing and the case against them collapsed on the eve of trial last month after the Government refused to label China an 'enemy'.

After Andrew and his ex-wife agreed to relinquish their titles, Buckingham Palace released a statement on the Prince's behalf.

It marked the first time it had spoken for him since his car crash Newsnight interview in 2019.

The statement read: 'In discussion with The King, and my immediate and wider family, we have concluded the continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family.

'I have decided, as I always have, to put my duty to my family and country first. I stand by my decision five years ago to stand back from public life.

'With His Majesty's agreement, we feel I must now go a step further.

'I will therefore no longer use my title or the honours which have been conferred upon me. As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me.'

Buckingham Palace

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