The King’s seismic statement about Andrew
Stripped of his title as prince, he’ll be known as Mr Mountbatten Windsor, in this unprecedented development
On the eve of Halloween, Andrew certainly got a fright, when Buckingham Palace put out a statement announcing he’s to lose his title of prince as well as his home of Royal Lodge in Windsor. But the severity of the statement took everyone by surprise, as it made clear the King and Queen – and William and Catherine – seek to distance themselves from the disgraced royal, for good. Andrew will now be known as, ‘Mr Mountbatten Windsor’ and move to Norfolk, to a home on the King’s private estate, Sandringham.
“His Majesty has today initiated a formal process to remove the style, titles and honours of Prince Andrew,” the statement read. “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.”
The news hit the headlines all over the world. The Telegraph dubbed it, “unprecedented” and The Daily Mail highlighted the Prince and Princess of Wales appeared to shun Andrew at the Duchess of Kent’s funeral.
It has been a long and rocky road to this decision, but considering Queen Camilla and the Duchess of Edinburgh work to support victims of sexual abuse and domestic violence, it seems the Royal Family has understood they had to make a definitive statement as allegations against Andrew continue to emerge.
It’s reported Andrew will move to Norfolk in the New Year, into one of the cottages on Sandringham Estate. These are wholly-owned by the King, so it avoids the problem of him moving to another Crown property in Windsor and paying rent. Ex-wife Sarah is believed to be, “making her own arrangements” where to live.
On Friday, PM Keir Starmer came out in support of the King and Queen. “We fully support the decision taken by the Palace yesterday,” Downing St said in a statement. “Our hearts go out to the family of Virginia Giuffre and all the victims who suffered from Jeffrey Epstein’s despicable crimes. We echo the statement yesterday that our thoughts and utmost sympathies have been and will remain with the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse.”
Andrew is currently eighth in line to the throne, but the government does not plan to introduce legislation to formally remove him from the line of succession, it was reported.
As for the corgis, Muick and Sandy, the Palace confirmed they will remain in the care of the Andrew Mountbatten Windsor family. We’re not quite sure yet if this means in the custody of Andrew or Sarah Ferguson - who insists the late Queen talks to her through her two beloved corgis.
The Royal Family is no stranger to scandals (have you listened to our podcast series Secrets of the Royals yet?) but in all our years of royal reporting, this robust announcement regarding Andrew and theHouse of York is pretty unprecedented and we believe William will be the driving force of much of the decision-making. We’re also sure, it is far from over. Follow the live story here.
Meanwhile, Charles and Camilla must be praying for peace
While all this turmoil was going on, the King and Queen continued their commitments this week, although we reckon they probably had a quick prayer for peace when they visited Neasden Temple. They also sent out a message of support to the people of Jamaica, after the devastation of Hurricane Melissa. “My wife and I have been deeply concerned and profoundly saddened to see the catastrophic damage caused…” they wrote. “Our anxious thoughts are with all those who have been so cruelly affected. Above all, our most heartfelt sympathy is with the families, friends and loved ones of those who have tragically lost their lives.”
William and Kate’s court victory
It’s been quite the half term for the Wales family, which saw them finally move into their “forever home”, Forest Lodge, in Windsor Great Park and win a privacy claim against a magazine.
Moving into the eight-bedroom Grade-II listed Georgian mansion is seen as a “fresh start” after the last few challenging years, where they were based in the nearby modest four-bedroom Adelaide Cottage. The Prince and Princess of Wales - who take a very firm stance on their family’s right to privacy - also won a claim against the French publisher of Paris Match. In April, the magazine printed an article illustrated with long-lens photos of the family on a skiing holiday in the Alps.
One of the pics showed William relaxing in shorts and a sweatshirt on the terrace of a Courchevel chalet, waving a bottle of wine at Catherine and their children. The French court ruled the magazine had infringed their privacy and image rights and had to publish a judicial notice acknowledging the breach. It was also ordered to pay the couple’s legal costs.
On Thursday, a Kensington Palace spokesperson said: “The Prince and Princess of Wales are committed to protecting their private family time and ensuring that their children can grow up without undue scrutiny and interference. They will not hesitate to take such action as is necessary to enforce those boundaries.”
Meanwhile, William will be getting ready for this Wednesday’s Earthshot Prize awards ceremony in Rio de Janeiro. The following day he will be representing his father at the UN climate conference, COP30.
Meghan’s merry merch - but is it worth it?
The Montecito-based jam-selling Duchess posted a smiley shot of herself with a vase of flowers on her As Ever platform at the same time the Palace announced Andrew had lost his titles and home, only to quickly delete it. However, As Ever continued to promote its newly-launched first-ever holiday season collection. Well, it is only eight weeks to elevate Christmas with a flurry of flower sprinkles.
Meghan’s festive fare includes a bunch of new stuff, such as two candles inspired by her wedding date and birthday. Signature Candle No. 519, scented with Moroccan mint, cardamom and tea leaves apparently “evokes the freshness of a day in the English countryside”. Shame she didn’t stick around long enough to enjoy that freshness. Apparently the candle also captures “cherished memories” of the “ease and joy” of her wedding day on May 19, 2018.
Plus, if you want your home to smell like her Montecito mansion, treat yourself to Signature Candle 084, named after her birthday. Scented with water lotus, sandalwood and California poppy. For more on the full collection of As Ever’s latest offerings, read an hilarious review here, written by one of Maria’s Daily Mail colleagues.
Happy birthday, Lady Louise!
The King’s youngest niece and accomplished carriage-driving competitor is turning 22 this Saturday, giving the royals a happy event to celebrate. Thankfully.
Lady Louise Alice Elizabeth Mary Mountbatten Windsor was born prematurely (Edward missed his firstborn’s sudden dramatic arrival as he was on an official visit to Mauritius). Currently in her final year studying English at St Andrews, the 17th in line to the throne is loved up with a fellow student, Felix Robert da Silva- Clamp. Have a great day, Louise!
The family's real surname is Battenburg. They are German. The best thing the Brits could do would be to put King Charles and "queen" Camilla on one of those rubber migrant boats (they return the boats to France for reuse) and launch it in the direction of Hamburg.
Remind me, who are "Their Majesties" and why are they majestic, again?