London: Britain's King Charles III has stripped his younger brother Prince Andrew of his "prince" title and ordered him to vacate his residence at Royal Lodge near Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace announced Thursday, as punishment for his relationship with the late convicted prostitution financier Jeffrey Epstein.
According to Thai News Agency, Prince Andrew, 65, the younger brother of King Charles and second son of the late Queen Elizabeth II, has faced increasing pressure over his behavior and links to Epstein, having earlier this month announced he would give up his title as the Duke of York.
Most recently, King Charles III decided to strip his younger brother of all royal titles, leaving Prince Andrew with only the name Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. A statement from Buckingham Palace said Prince Andrew had been formally notified to terminate his lease on the 30-room Royal Lodge on the grounds of Windsor, west of London, and that he would be moving to another private residence in the east of England.
The statement said the punitive measures were necessary despite Prince Andrew's continued denial of all allegations, while King Charles III and Queen Camilla expressed their deepest condolences to all victims and survivors of abuse. A palace source said that while Prince Andrew continues to deny the allegations, it is clear he has made a serious mistake in his decision. The source added that the decision to strip him of all his titles came from King Charles III himself, with the support of other members of the royal family, including Prince William, the Prince of Wales.
In recent weeks, British newspapers have focused on Prince Andrew's finances after The Times reported that he had not paid rent on his 30-room mansion for two decades, but had spent at least £7.5 million (about 337 million baht) renovating it when he moved in. A British parliamentary committee also questioned the appropriateness of Prince Andrew remaining at the mansion during a meeting on Wednesday, a rare political intervention.