King Charles has stripped his brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, of his final royal titles, according to an announcement published Monday in the Gazette, the United Kingdom's official public record. The announcement stated, "The King has directed that the appointment of Andrew Albert Christian Edward Mountbatten-Windsor to be a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, dated 23 April 2006, shall be canceled and annulled and that his name shall be erased from the Register of the said Order."
It continued, similarly, regarding his appointment as a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, the Telegraph reports. The 64-year-old previously lost his titles of prince, His Royal Highness, and Duke of York, due to what the palace described as "serious lapses of judgment" related to his ties with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the UK's oldest and most prestigious chivalric order, awarded for public service. The Royal Victorian Order is a personal honor from the monarch for service to the royal family. The former prince had held the Order of the Garter title since 2006 and the Royal Victorian Order title since 2011, Sky News reports.
Mountbatten-Windsor has long faced accusations of sexual assault from Virginia Giuffre, who said Epstein trafficked her as a teenager. He denies the allegations but settled out of court in 2022 without admitting guilt. Giuffre died by suicide in April. UK police are reportedly investigating whether Mountbatten-Windsor used his taxpayer-funded protection officers to gather personal information about Giuffre.
The move comes as pressure mounts for Mountbatten-Windsor to testify before Congress regarding his relationship with Epstein. He has not responded to a summons from House Democrats, issued ahead of the expected release of Epstein-related files. Despite the loss of his royal honors, he retains the honorary military rank of Vice-Admiral, though the government has said it will be removed. He is expected to leave his residence at Royal Lodge and relocate to the King's Sandringham estate in Norfolk, eastern England, in the new year.
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