King Charles III has begun the process of removing his brother, Prince Andrew, from his royal titles and honors. Buckingham Palace announced this decision on Thursday, stating that Andrew will no longer be referred to as a prince. Instead, he will be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor.

The palace's statement indicated that Andrew has also been evicted from his residence at Royal Lodge and will be relocating to private accommodations. This action follows increasing pressure on the monarchy regarding Andrew's connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The formal process to strip Andrew of his titles comes after he relinquished his title of Duke of York earlier this month amid allegations from Virginia Roberts Giuffre, one of Epstein's victims. Giuffre has accused Andrew of sexual misconduct, claiming that he had sexual encounters with her when she was 17 years old. Andrew has consistently denied these allegations.

The palace emphasized that these measures are necessary, despite Andrew's ongoing denial of the claims against him. "Their Majesties wish to make clear that their thoughts and utmost sympathies have been, and will remain with, the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse," the statement read.

Recent developments have intensified scrutiny on Andrew. Emails surfaced earlier this month revealing that he had maintained contact with Epstein longer than he had previously acknowledged. Additionally, Giuffre's posthumous memoir, titled "Nobody's Girl," detailed her allegations against Andrew, stating that he acted as if he believed "having sex with me was his birthright."

Andrew, 65, stepped back from royal duties following a controversial BBC interview in November 2019, where he attempted to refute Giuffre's claims. In 2022, he reached a multi-million dollar settlement in a civil suit filed by Giuffre in New York, although he did not admit any wrongdoing. He did, however, express acknowledgment of Giuffre's suffering as a victim of sex trafficking. Giuffre tragically died by suicide in April at the age of 41. This situation continues to develop as the palace takes further steps regarding Andrew's status.