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Royal watchers learned in October 2025 that King Charles III stripped his younger brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor — formerly known as Prince Andrew — of his royal titles and evicted him from his lavish home.
The former prince’s spectacular fall from grace has been tied to his friendship with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Mountbatten-Windsor told BBC’s Newsnight in 2019 that he met Epstein through the disgraced financier’s girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell, though he denied any wrongdoing. (Epstein was convicted of procuring a child for prostitution and soliciting a prostitute in 2008 and was later arrested on federal sex trafficking charges weeks before his death by suicide in August 2019. Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking charges.)
In that same 2019 interview, Mountbatten-Windsor insisted he did not regret his friendship with Epstein despite the damage to his reputation.
“Now, [I] still [do] not [regret it] and the reason being is that the people that I met and the opportunities that I was given to learn either by him or because of him were actually very useful,” Mountbatten Windsor told Newsnight. “He himself not, as it were, as close as you might think, we weren’t that close. So therefore I mean, yes, I would go and stay in his house but that was because of his girlfriend, not because of him.”
King Charles cannot escape the continued media attention on his brother Prince Andrew’s longstanding friendship with the late convicted pedophile, Jeffrey Epstein. “How long have you known about Andrew and Epstein?” an individual shouted at Charles, 76, as the royal greeted the public outside Lichfield Cathedral in Staffordshire on Monday, October 27, per footage shared […]
The fallout from Mountbatten-Windsor’s 2019 interview led him to step back from his royal duties in November 2019, though he was eventually stripped of his titles by King Charles in October 2025 as continual revelations emerged. In February 2026, Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested by Thames Valley Police on his 66th birthday on suspicion of misconduct in public office, with King Charles later calling for a “full, fair and proper process by which this issue is investigated.”
Keep scrolling for more about the way Charles and other royals reacted to Mountbatten-Windsor’s friendship with Epstein.
How Is Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor Connected to Jeffrey Epstein?
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor told BBC Newsnight host Emily Maitlis in a 2019 interview that he met Jeffrey Epstein through the convicted sex offender’s former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell. (Ghislaine’s father, Robert Maxwell, was part of the media establishment in the U.K. as owner of the Daily Mirror and The London Evening News prior to his death at age 68 in 1991.)
While Mountbatten-Windsor never faced criminal charges over his alleged involvement with Epstein, he was sued for sexual assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress by Virginia Giuffre in 2021. Giuffre alleged that Epstein and Maxwell trafficked her to Mountbatten-Windsor following a night at Tramp nightclub in London in 2001.
“I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady, none whatsoever,” Mountbatten-Windsor insisted to Newsnight.
However, Mountbatten-Windsor reached a private settlement with Giuffre in 2022 after she sued him for sexual assault and battery. (He did not admit any fault as part of the settlement agreement though he agreed to make a substantial donation to Speak Out, Act, Reclaim, a charity supporting sex trafficking victims.)
Mountbatten-Windsor claimed that he visited Epstein at his New York penthouse in December 2010 to formally end their friendship. At the time, Epstein had recently completed his 18-month prison sentence for procuring a child for prostitution and soliciting a prostitute.
“I have always … ever since this has happened and since this has become, as it were, public knowledge that I was there, I’ve questioned myself as to why did I go and what was I doing and was it the right thing to do?” Mountbatten-Windsor told Newsnight. “Now, I went there with the sole purpose of saying to him that because he had been convicted, it was inappropriate for us to be seen together.”
Andrew and King Charles III in 2015 Peter Nicholls – WPA Pool /Getty Images
Mountbatten-Windsor admitted that he’d had “a number of people counsel” him over whether it was appropriate to visit Epstein’s home in the wake of his conviction.
“I took the judgement call that, because this was serious, and I felt that doing it over the telephone was the chicken’s way of doing it. I had to go and see him and talk to him,” he said.
He added, “I said to [Epstein] … ‘Look, because of what has happened, I don’t think it is appropriate that we should remain in contact,’ and by mutual agreement during that walk in the park we decided that we would part company and I left, I think it was the next day. To this day, I never had any contact with him from that day forward.”
His friendship with Epstein faced a new level of scrutiny when a paparazzi photo from Mountbatten-Windsor and Epstein’s Central Park conversation was published by the New York Post in 2011. As a result of the scandal, Buckingham Palace announced in July 2011 that Mountbatten-Windsor had resigned as a U.K. trade envoy.
Any attempt by Mountbatten-Windsor to put the scandal behind him with his 2019 Newsnight interview failed. The TV special only intensified coverage of the scandal, leading to Mountbatten-Windsor formally stepping back from his royal duties in November 2019.
“It has become clear to me over the last few days that the circumstance relating to my former association with Jeffrey Epstein has become a major disruption to my family’s work and the valuable work going on in the many organizations and charities that I am proud to support,” he said. “Therefore, I have asked Her Majesty if I may step back from public duties for the foreseeable future, and she has given her permission.”
While Mountbatten-Windsor was slowly reintegrated into royal functions a few years later, a new round of allegations erupted with the publication of Andrew Lownie’s tell-all 2025 book Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York.
Multiple U.K. outlets published private emails that Mountbatten-Windsor allegedly sent to Epstein in 2011, which contradicted his statement that he’d cut off communication with the financier after visiting his New York City home in December 2010. In one purported email, the prince allegedly wrote to Epstein that they were “in this together and will have to rise above it.”
Mountbatten-Windsor said in October 2025 that he would stop using his royal title as the Duke of York.
“In discussion with The King, and my immediate and wider family, we have concluded the continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family,” Mountbatten-Windsor said in a statement to Us on October 17, 2025. “I have decided, as I always have, to put my duty to my family and country first. I stand by my decision five years ago to stand back from public life.”
He continued, “With His Majesty’s agreement, we feel I must now go a step further. I will therefore no longer use my title or the honors which have been conferred upon me. As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me.”
Once again, his pledge did little to quiet the scandal, so Buckingham Palace confirmed days later that King Charles III planned to strip his brother of his royal titles and force him to move out of his home at Royal Lodge, which Mountbatten-Windsor acquired in 2003 as part of a “peppercorn lease.”
Later that year, Mountbatten-Windsor was accused of asking his taxpayer-funded security detail to investigate Giuffre prior to their 2022 legal settlement. The Metropolitan Police announced in December 2025 that it would “take no further action” against Mountbatten-Windsor over the historic accusation.
“The Met remains committed to thoroughly assessing any new information that could assist in this matter,” a police spokesperson said.”To date, we have not received any additional evidence that would support reopening the investigation. In the absence of any further information, we will be taking no further action.”
There were new disclosures in January 2026 as part of three million documents released by the Justice Department in compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which included a photo obtained from the Epstein estate of Mountbatten-Windsor kneeling on all fours over an unknown woman. (The Justice Department provided no context on where or when the photo was taken. The unidentified woman’s face was redacted to protect her privacy.)
Mountbatten-Windsor reportedly moved out of Royal Lodge in February 2026. He is residing in a temporary property on his brother Charles’ privately-owned Sandringham estate while his permanent home is undergoing renovations.
Thames Valley Police confirmed to Us on February 19, 2026, that its officers had “arrested a man in his sixties from Norfolk on suspicion of misconduct in public office.” Mountbatten-Windsor’s name was not mentioned in the police statement due to national guidance.
Mountbatten-Windsor stands accused of sharing confidential information with Epstein while acting as a U.K. trade envoy from 2001 to 2011. Per the Crown Protection Service, those found criminally liable of “serious wilful abuse or neglect of the power or responsibilities of the public office held” can face a maximum punishment of life imprisonment.
What Did Queen Elizabeth II Say About Prince Andrew’s Connection to Jeffrey Epstein?
The Telegraph reported that Queen Elizabeth II partially funded her son Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s $16 million settlement to dismiss his sexual assault accuser Virginia Giuffre’s lawsuit in 2022. The queen’s contribution reportedly came from her private Duchy of Lancaster estate so as not to draw criticism about public funds being used.
However, a spokesperson for Queen Elizabeth told People in February 2022 that Buckingham Palace “never commented on the financial aspects of the Duke’s private legal affairs and won’t be now.”
One month earlier, Buckingham Palace revealed that Queen Elizabeth was revoking Mountbatten-Windsor’s military titles. Her rebuke came after more than 150 British military veterans wrote an open letter to the monarch asking her to strip Mountbatten-Windsor of his service awards.
“With the queen’s approval and agreement, the Duke of York’s military affiliations and royal patronages have been returned to the queen,” the palace said in a statement in January 2022. “The Duke of York will continue not to undertake any public duties and is defending this case as a private citizen.”
Queen Elizabeth died at age 96 in September 2002.
How Did King Charles III React to Prince Andrew’s Connection to Jeffrey Epstein?
King Charles III initially held back from addressing the growing scandal around his brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, amid new allegations in Andrew Lownie’s bombshell 2025 book Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York.
While Mountbatten-Windsor agreed to stop using his royal title in October 2025, the king finally stepped in days later with his own royal decree. The king confirmed that he was essentially evicting Mountbatten-Windsor from his home at Royal Lodge, where the former prince lived since 2003.
“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,” reads a Buckingham Palace statement shared with Us Weekly on October 30, 2025. “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.”
In a February 2026 statement, the palace noted, “The King has made clear, in words and through unprecedented actions, his profound concern at allegations which continue to come to light in respect of Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor’s conduct.”
The palace continued, “While the specific claims in question are for Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor to address, if we are approached by Thames Valley Police, we stand ready to support them as you would expect. As was previously stated, Their Majesties’ thoughts and sympathies have been, and remain with, the victims of any and all forms of abuse.”
Following Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest in February 2026, King Charles released a statement confirming that he’d “learned with the deepest concern the news about [the arrest of] Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and suspicion of misconduct in public office.”
“What now follows is the full, fair and proper process by which this issue is investigated in the appropriate manner and by the appropriate authorities. In this, as I have said before, they have our full and wholehearted support and cooperation,” King Charles said in a statement to Us. “Let me state clearly: the law must take its course. As this process continues, it would not be right for me to comment further on this matter. Meanwhile, my family and I will continue in our duty and service to you all.”
How Did Prince Edward React to Prince Andrew’s Connection to Jeffrey Epstein?
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s younger brother, Prince Edward, became the first member of the royal family to personally address the Epstein scandal in February 2025. During a Q&A for the World Governments Summit in Dubai, he was asked how he was “coping” with the continual controversy.
“I think it’s important always to remember the victims,” Prince Edward answered. “And who are the victims in all this? A lot of victims in all this.”
How Did Prince William and Kate Middleton React to Prince Andrew’s Connection to Jeffrey Epstein?
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s nephew Prince William and his wife, Princess Kate Middleton, released a statement as new documents from the Epstein files continued to go public.
“I can confirm The Prince and Princess have been deeply concerned by the continuing revelations,” a spokesperson for the Prince and Princess of Wales shared in February 2026. “Their thoughts remain focused on the victims.”
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