Opinion Exit Prince Andrew: Could this be a new era of accountability for the British royals?

The stripping of Andrew’s title became unavoidable for King Charles and emphasises the need for a wider reset between the monarchy and the public

From Andrew’s ill-fated 2019 BBC Newsnight interview with Emily Maitlis, to recent emails suggesting that he maintained communications with Epstein after the financier’s release from prison for soliciting minors, the reputational damage to the “firm” has been incalculable. It stood to overshadow the good work undertaken by King Charles and other royals.

Rishabh Bhandari

November 3, 2025 11:42 AM IST First published on: Nov 3, 2025 at 11:42 AM IST

A tale about the defenestration of a prince stripped of his title and exiled from court by his elder brother might have echoes of a Shakespearean drama. But there was nothing fictional about the hard-headed realism on display from King Charles in downgrading his brother Andrew — henceforth to be known as Mr Mountbatten Windsor — and instructing him to move away from London to Norfolk on the King’s private estate. The scandal highlights the need for a wider reset between the royal family and the public.

One can only speculate over the bitter blow this will deliver to Andrew himself, the favoured son of the late Queen and a Falklands war hero for whom royal status has been an essential thread through his life. Concern for his well-being will have weighed heavily on his elder brother. But the decision could not be delayed further by the King who initiated “a formal process to remove the style, titles and honours” from his brother. With the understated phrase “these censures are deemed necessary,” the extended and increasingly turbulent saga of Andrew’s royal career has come to a juddering close.

Arguably, such censures were not only necessary but they were overdue. The cacophony of scandal over close links between Andrew and the convicted paedophile and financier Jeffrey Epstein showed no signs of abating. From Andrew’s ill-fated 2019 BBC Newsnight interview with Emily Maitlis, to recent emails suggesting that he maintained communications with Epstein after the financier’s release from prison for soliciting minors, the reputational damage to the “firm” has been incalculable.

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It stood to overshadow the good work undertaken by King Charles and other royals. The late Virginia Giuffre alleged that Epstein coerced her into sex with the former prince when she was 17. Andrew denied wrongdoing and had reached an out-of-court settlement with her in 2022 reportedly for £12 million. With her posthumous memoir coming up, and more revelations a possibility, it was inevitable that Andrew had to go.

Mr Mountbatten Windsor will leave Royal Lodge, the 30-room mansion in Windsor where he lives with his former wife Sarah Ferguson, who is no longer titled Duchess of York. He will be housed within the Sandringham estate in Norfolk with a pension paid for by the King, while Ms Ferguson has been asked to make her own arrangements. The hope is that by making these moves, a line may be drawn. But if files relating to Epstein are released to the US House Oversight Committee, there may be more questions to answer.

What is the wider lesson from this dreadful mess? The answer goes to the heart of the compact between the public and the royal family. In exchange for the privileges and status they enjoy, royals are expected to fulfil their public service duties with dignity and humility, and champion the nation’s image at home and abroad. The late Queen Elizabeth understood this perfectly.

The fulfilment of this unwritten social contract is vital in the modern era. The reality is that unquestioned public support for the monarchy is not a given. Prince William is acutely aware of this. But the King and the crown prince should take this further. Jettisoning Andrew was only one example of change needed to advance the long-term interests of the monarchy. Another must be far greater transparency on the opaque royal finances, which helped to fund the extravagant lifestyle of the former prince for so long.

The truth is that in economically challenging times the public will no longer accept the spectacle of spendthrift royals with secretive finances. A culture of entitlement is not a recipe for success. There needs to be greater clarity on who can assume the status of working royals. The public mood suggests that removal of “HRH” titles from those such as Prince Harry who have articulated a desire to step away should be on the table. If the “firm” is to not only survive but thrive, it has no choice but to double down in demonstrating its continuing relevance to the public and adapt to the demands of an evolving era.

The writer is a London-based lawyer and political commentator