Why King Charles 'Threw Andrew Under the Bus' ⏤ Royal Expert Warns It’s ‘Not Over Yet’
After years of controversy and scandals, King Charles has finally taken a 'decisive step' against his younger brother. On October 30, Buckingham Palace announced that Prince Andrew has officially been stripped of all royal titles, including ‘Prince,’ in an unprecedented decision taken by the King. He will now go by the name ‘Andrew Mountbatten Windsor.’ While he voluntarily relinquished his dukedom and other honors earlier this month, experts have described the monarch’s latest move as a ‘historic’ order, not a request. Royal expert Andrew Lownie asserted the Palace was "finally taking control of the narrative" before more damaging revelations emerged.
Lownie claimed Prince William pressured Charles to act fast, The Mirror reported. "I don't think it's the end of it," he said, adding, "I think there are many more disclosures to come, but at least they're taking some decisive action. So, I don't think it's all over for him." The decision, he argued, was not only a preemptive step to limit the growing scrutiny surrounding Andrew’s past ties with Jeffrey Epstein but also aimed to address the controversy surrounding his property privileges at Windsor. With all of his titles stripped, the former Duke has been asked to move out of Royal Lodge.
The Grade II-listed residence was his home for more than two decades. He will now move to a private accommodation at Sandringham. His former wife, Sarah Ferguson, who shared the 30-room estate with him, will reportedly make her own living arrangements. Lownie also answered whether distancing the 65-year-old from the Firm could increase the likelihood of a police investigation. He bluntly said, "Yes. I've been saying for some time they're going to throw Andrew under the bus to save themselves, and this is the first indication of that." The Palace, he noted, finally realized that staying silent was doing more harm than good.
In a formal statement, Buckingham Palace confirmed, "His Majesty has today initiated a formal process to remove the Style, Titles and Honors of Prince Andrew. 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.” The statement concluded with "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 move follows renewed backlash after his accuser, Virginia Giuffre’s memoir, Nobody’s Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice, hit shelves on October 21. In it, she has made several bombshell claims, including that he had a ‘code name’ to conceal his identity in Epstein’s circle. Amidst all of this, his daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, have quietly jetted off to Saudi Arabia and Paris, respectively.