Andrew has been stripped of yet another mark of his royal status by his elder brother King Charles, but the former prince is still seemingly clinging onto the trappings of his old life
Andrew Mountbatten Windsor has taken another blow from King Charles. The monarch has formally stripped Andrew of two of his last remaining royal titles, a new report has claimed, which were bestowed upon him by the late Queen Elizabeth, with whom the former prince was incredibly close.
However, the scandal surrounding his long-term friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein shows no sign of settling down. Andrew was asked to provide testimony about his ties to the late financier to the US Congress, but did not reply to the letter that the House Oversight Committee sent him within the two-week deadline they set.
When King Charles announced in a blistering statement that he would be formally removing his errant younger brother’s titles, it was also revealed that Andrew had agreed to finally leave his lavish home near Windsor Castle, Royal Lodge. There had been significant public outcry when it emerged that Andrew had paid barely any rent for the 30-room mansion, which he shared with ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, in the many years he lived in the property, but due to his “iron-clad” lease, the King had to rely on Andrew moving out voluntarily.
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It was initially reported that Andrew would be moving out of Royal Lodge in the New Year, heading to start a new chapter on King Charles’s privately owned Sandringham Estate in Norfolk. However, recent reports have claimed that the disgraced former duke’s move might be pushed back even further.
Sources have reportedly told the Royalist newsletter that part of the delay surrounds Andrew’s demands over which home on the vast 20,000-acre estate he will call home. “Andrew is demanding a substantial six or seven bedroom house on the Sandringham Estate complete with staff, including a cook, gardener, housekeeper, driver and police security,” Tom Sykes reported.
The Sun reports that Andrew has recently lost two more elite titles that once signified his proximity to the crown – including his position in the Order of the Garter. The Order of the Garter is a seriously elite group: only 24 members are allowed at one time, and they are personally hand-selected by the monarch, either for serving them personally or contributing to the national life of the UK in a major way.
Over 700 years old, it’s the most senior chivalric rank in the UK, and Andrew’s just been unceremoniously removed from it by his older brother – with his coat of arms already taken down from St. George’s Chapel in Windsor. Andrew has been removed as both a Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter, and a Knight Grand Cross of the Victorian Order – which is also given out personally by the sovereign.
The Sun reports that a declaration of Andrew’s erasure made in the London Gazette, that read: “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 KING has directed that the appointment of Andrew Albert Christian Edward MOUNTBATTEN-WINDSOR to be a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, dated 19 February 2011, shall be cancelled and annulled and that his name shall be erased from the Register of the said Order.”
The news comes after one expert claimed that Andrew seemed to be changing tactics when it came to hanging on to aspects of the royal life he has always known. Judi James, body language and communications expert, explained that when Andrew was spotted riding his horse in Windsor, seemingly looking “downcast”, that the images appeared like there may have been some deliberate “staging” at play.
“These photos seem to signal a desire to project a new state though, which could be very neatly labelled ‘downcast’,” the expert explained.
She added, “His head is tilted, and his eyes are cast down at the ground. His shoulders appear slumped, and his mood even seems to have been transferred to his poor horse, which has a similarly glum look. We even have the groom or whoever it is accompanying Andrew appearing to gaze at him with an expression of concern.”
Judi continued that “this is curious stuff”, arguing, “Firstly, the photos are very clear and sharp, with the background thrown into a professional-looking soft focus. And then there is the question of Andrew’s pose, which is unusual for someone who has spent much of their life in the saddle.”
She added, “Andrew could, of course, be feeling understandably sad. But this could also be performative if he’s realised the arrogant, defiant displays didn’t work.”
The photos of a seemingly “glum” and “downcast” Andrew stand in stark contrast to what insiders have been revealing about the former duke’s attitude towards his disgrace, and his hard-line negotiations about wanting his brother to provide him with a lavish new home in Norfolk. A former royal aide was quoted by the Royalist as saying, “Knowing Andrew, this was always going to be about money. Andrew is essentially being bought out of the lease, so he will haggle over every last detail of the deal.”
Behind closed doors, Andrew is also reported to still be insisting that staff refer to him using his now-stripped royal titles – no matter what their official status is. An insider previously revealed to author Andrew Lownie, whose bombshell book ‘Entitled: the Rise and Fall of the House of York’ detailed many of the controversies surrounding the King’s brother, that losing the trappings of royal life will likely always be the most major blow to the disgraced former duke, rather than the controversy surrounding his ties to Epstein himself.
“Remember, the most difficult thing for the Duke of York was not the allegations of sexual misconduct. It was being stripped of his royal titles and losing his key role with the Royal Family. He’s never gotten over this,” a former member of staff for Andrew was quoted as saying in the explosive book.
One title still remains Andrew’s – at least for now. The former duke is still a vice-admiral in the Royal Navy, in which he served for 22 years. Whilst there are ongoing calls for this final honour to be formally stripped, it remains to be seen how long it will be before Andrew loses that too.
