The story of Andrew Windsor, the former Duke, who will now simply be called Prince, might finally be over—at least, that’s what the rest of the royal family hopes. But even that depends on what else might come out from further releases of Epstein’s documents, letters, records, and emails in the US. His already damaged reputation could suffer even more.
Losing his titles will undoubtedly hurt him the most. Andrew hasn’t formally lost them—stripping his dukedom would require an act of Parliament, which neither the government nor Buckingham Palace wants, as it would be a lengthy and embarrassing public process—and he can’t drop his princely title because he is, without question, the son of a monarch. However, he can no longer use his titles publicly or privately, which will be a severe blow to his sense of entitlement and status. As one of his former dates told Andrew Lownie for his recent book, “Entitled,” Andrew always introduced himself to her friends as the Duke of York, adding, “It struck me how impressed he was with who he is, or how impressed he wanted others to be. Every joke always ended with: ‘because I’m the Duke of York.’ He tells the most pathetic jokes. He finds whoopee cushions funny.”
Friday night’s statement allowed him a last shred of dignity by letting him pretend he was voluntarily giving up his titles and the Order of the Garter out of a belated sense of duty. But he wasn’t. After at least a decade of private family disputes and the king’s personal anguish over what to do about Andrew—and with his mother no longer around to protect him and pay his debts—there was no choice but to cut him loose. Prince William was clearly prepared to be more ruthless than his father. In the end, it was the Windsors’ polite version of being handed a revolver and a bottle of whisky in a locked room.
He still lives at Royal Lodge with his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson (though why he needs such a large place is a mystery—it’s not like he has many friends), and apparently spends his days watching golf on TV and taking solitary rides in Windsor Great Park.
While the royal family can’t stop him from going to church—as he did a few weeks ago for the Duchess of Kent’s funeral, where William pointedly ignored him—he won’t be joining them at Sandringham on Christmas morning. Instead, he’ll have a lonely lunch at home with plain Ms. Sarah Ferguson and their daughters (who keep their princess titles) and their families. The paper hats from Christmas crackers will be the closest the eighth in line to the throne ever gets to a crown now. He’ll also have to watch the next coronation on TV, if he lives that long.
What will he do for money? No longer a working royal, he hasn’t qualified for public funds for the past six years. He has some savings from selling properties, a navy pension, and likely private support from the king. Known for being wasteful, he and his ex-wife couldn’t keep up with the Arab and American billionaires they liked to socialize with. This was probably one reason he was drawn to Epstein, though the sex—which he still denies—was likely another. In return, all he could offer was status and access to royal pomp and palaces.
Now he doesn’t even have that. He’s trapped, like Mr. Rochester’s first wife in the attic, in his 30-room Royal Lodge: with nowhere to go and no one willing to see him. Poor Virginia Giuffre, whose memoirs are being serialized in the Guardian next week, has been denied the satisfaction of bringing down a prince while he’s still alive.
He was a fool, and worse: a powerful man who caused others pain—a dark stain on the family’s honor and a threat to the monarchy itself.
Stephen Bates is a former royal correspondent.The Guardian
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of FAQs based on the provided statement about Prince Andrew
General Beginner Questions
1 What happened to Prince Andrew
He was stripped of his military titles and royal patronages and will no longer use the style His Royal Highness in an official capacity
2 Why was he stripped of his titles
This was due to the public fallout and damage to the monarchys reputation from a civil sexual assault lawsuit filed against him in the United States
3 Did he go to jail
No he has not been convicted of any crime or gone to jail The case against him was a civil lawsuit not a criminal one
4 What does a life he will surely despise mean
It suggests he has lost the privileged lifestyle public respect and influential status he was born into and is now living in a muchreduced private capacity which is assumed to be deeply unpleasant for him
Advanced Detailed Questions
5 What was the specific lawsuit about
Virginia Giuffre sued him alleging she was sexually trafficked to him by Jeffrey Epstein when she was 17 The case was settled out of court with no admission of liability from Prince Andrew
6 What are the practical consequences of losing his HRH style and military titles
He can no longer officially represent the Queen perform public duties or hold any formal military affiliations He is effectively a private citizen in the eyes of the institution though still a member of the royal family
7 How has this changed his public role and future
His public role is effectively over He is excluded from royal events and is expected to remain out of the public eye His chances of any form of royal rehabilitation are considered extremely low
8 What is the significance of this action by the Royal Family
It was a decisive move to protect the monarchy from further reputational damage showing that even senior royals are not immune to consequences for their associations and actions
9 Can he ever get his titles back
While technically possible it is considered highly unlikely given the severe and permanent nature of the damage to his reputation
10 What is he doing now
He lives a private life largely out of the spotlight Reports suggest he stays at Royal Lodge in Windsor and focuses on his personal interests but he no longer has an
