Buckingham Palace has confirmed that Prince Andrew shall be stripped of his royal titles and must depart his house of Royal Lodge as a part of a “formal course of” that has been put in movement

King Charles delivered a “ruthless” blow to his disgraced youthful brother Andrew, with an skilled now revealing how Prince William assisted his father in delivering the last word humiliation.

Buckingham Palace issued a surprising assertion on Thursday confirming that the “formal course of” to legally take away Andrew’s titles has commenced. He’ll now be often called Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, having been faraway from the official peerage roll.

The palace additionally disclosed that Andrew shall be departing his long-standing residence at Royal Lodge, which has sparked appreciable controversy in latest weeks. Public anger has reached such heights over the scandals engulfing Andrew that 80 p.c of respondents in a latest survey believed he ought to vacate the opulent 30-room property, positioned close to Windsor Citadel.

Andrew possessed a “cast-iron” 75-year lease for the Grade II listed property, which he secured in 2003. In authorized phrases, this meant the King had no technique of compelling his youthful brother to relocate in opposition to his needs – Andrew needed to consent to depart of his personal accord.

Recent examination of the quite a few scandals engulfing Andrew and his former partner, Sarah Ferguson, who continued to share Royal Lodge following their mid-Nineteen Nineties divorce, has intensified over latest months. Extra embarrassment for the Royal Household emerged with the most recent launch of Virginia Giuffre’s posthumous memoir, which depicts a harrowing account of her ordeal below billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, studies the Mirror.

Giuffre, who sadly took her personal life earlier this 12 months, claimed Andrew sexually attacked her on three events when she was 17, allegations he has constantly and emphatically rejected.

Simply days earlier than the memoir’s publication, Andrew declared he would voluntarily relinquish his titles – however now the King has taken extra drastic motion, formally eradicating his youthful brother’s Royal privileges, in what one commentator has described as a “ruthless” but “welcomed” choice, which William possible performed a vital position in endorsing.

Andrew Lownie penned a scathing biography of Andrew and Sarah that hit cabinets through the summer time – titled: The Rise and Fall of the Home of York. The bombshell publication thrust their private affairs again into the highlight – together with their connections to Epstein, and their apparently questionable monetary preparations.

Lownie shared with the Mirror that Prince William possible performed a big position in “stiffening” his father’s willpower to take extra formal motion in opposition to Andrew. He steered that Andrew voluntarily relinquishing his titles was inadequate, and Charles has lastly grasped the gravity of the scenario.

“From what I do know of him and his father, William would have performed fairly an energetic position in stiffening Charles’ resolve,” Lownie disclosed. “However I believe significantly after Charles was heckled and the persevering with press protection – which was a distraction from all the opposite issues he needed to do, like pray on the Vatican – he is realised simply how critical that is.”

With Andrew’s departure from Royal Lodge, questions linger about the way forward for the mansion. Its shut proximity to Windsor Citadel might make it difficult to discover a personal tenant.

Lownie elaborates, “this now raises all types of questions on what occurs to Royal Lodge sooner or later, however I believe by way of addressing two of the considerations, about Andrew, the titles and the property, [the statement has] executed that.”

Lownie speculates that one potential answer may very well be for William himself to maneuver into the property as soon as his uncle has vacated it.

Earlier studies steered that the Prince and Princess of Wales had contemplated Royal Lodge as a possible residence when relocating their younger household from London to Windsor, searching for better privateness than their Kensington Palace house at Condo 1A might present.

The couple is ready to settle into their “endlessly house” at Forest Lodge, positioned near Royal Lodge, throughout the coming weeks – nevertheless, Lownie believes it might “make plenty of sense” for the pair to take over Sarah and Andrew’s earlier residence as a substitute.

“It might actually make plenty of sense,” Lownie explains concerning the potential for William and Kate assuming Royal Lodge, describing it as a “sturdy chance”.

“I believe they’re fearful in regards to the optics of residing in such a grand home. However by way of given its place [near to Windsor Castle], it might make much more sense than Forest Lodge, so, sure, I believe that could be a sturdy chance.”

Nonetheless, the Mirror understands that the association stays for the Wales household to relocate to Forest Lodge, with different plans showing uncertain.

Andrew is anticipated to be relocating to a property in Sandringham, Norfolk – an in depth property privately owned by the monarch, while Sarah Ferguson might want to organize her personal new lodging independently.

Kate is believed to have “totally supported” Charles’ choice to evict Andrew, alongside her husband. Lownie stated: “I believe it is a very neat answer going to Sandringham, I perceive that truly Andrew must be paid fairly some huge cash to principally get out of the lease.

“I believe they’ve taken decisive motion eventually, I imply this could have been the assertion we had two weeks in the past. It is a scenario they need to have handled years in the past, nevertheless it’s welcomed that it is at the very least taking place now.

“I believe they’re distancing themselves from Andrew fairly rightly. They do not need additional reputational injury to the monarchy from being linked to him.

“I do not assume it is fairly the tip of the story, however I believe it is what wanted to be executed. Significantly, the feedback in regards to the victims, I welcome it. I believe it reveals the King has acted ruthlessly – there was plenty of criticism for showing to be weak.”

While this manoeuvre might supply some much-needed separation for the palace from the accusations Andrew confronts, he and his former partner are removed from ” out of the woods in any respect,” based on the skilled’s evaluation.

Lownie acknowledged that each Sarah and Andrew should collaborate utterly with officers in each the UK and the US concerning their connections to Epstein.

“There’s much more to return,” Lownie asserted. “We have the Epstein information, even redacted and destroyed, we have courtroom instances developing, we have the probability of extra victims coming ahead. So I do not assume Andrew and Sarah are out of the woods in any respect.”

He went on to say: “I believe that he ought to make himself out there to the legislation enforcement businesses right here, and within the States. He wants to clarify, as does Sarah Ferguson, as a result of she’s form of been forgotten about, however she additionally was closely concerned in Epstein, and I believe we do want a press release from her [about] precisely what her connections have been with him.”

The skilled additional steered that there’s a “sturdy probability” of formal costs in opposition to King Charles’s youthful brother.

“If the authorities examine correctly, there are good grounds for an investigation,” he asserted.

Kensington Palace has been approached for a response.