King Charles III’s decision to strip his brother Andrew of his remaining royal titles has now been formally entered into the public record.
The Gazette, the UK’s official journal of state, has published notice that Andrew is no longer recognised as a prince or as the Duke of York. Although the move was announced last Thursday, the legal details have only now appeared in print.
According to the entry, the dukedom was withdrawn by Royal Warrant, while Andrew’s status as a prince was ended through a separate document known as Letters Patent.
The published notice states that, under Letters Patent dated 3 November 2025:
“Andrew Mountbatten Windsor shall no longer be entitled to hold and enjoy the style, title or attribute of ‘Royal Highness’ and the titular dignity of ‘Prince’.”
Letters Patent issued under the Great Seal of the Realm, a traditional wax seal, signify direct approval from the monarch for major constitutional decisions.
The move follows renewed scrutiny of Andrew’s long-standing association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Buckingham Palace confirmed last week that Andrew would leave Royal Lodge, his Windsor residence, as pressure surrounding his connections to Epstein continued to grow. Palace sources suggested the King’s decision was not opposed.
Andrew, now formally Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, had already relinquished several other titles in October, including the Duke of York, amid mounting questions about his private affairs.
Buckingham Palace said in a statement these “censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he [Andrew] continues
to deny the allegations against him.”
Fresh attention was drawn to the case earlier this year when released emails showed he had remained in touch with Epstein for longer than previously acknowledged. In a memoir published after her death last month, Virginia Giuffre’s publishers repeated allegations that she had sex with Andrew three times when she was 17.
