People in New York City reacted to Prince Andrew being stripped of his princely title and spacious home by his brother King Charles III over High Tea served at one of the city's British restaurants.

He has lost his title as prince, lost his rent-free mansion on the sprawling grounds next to Windsor Castle and lost whatever remained of his reputation in the public eye.

"I really don't care about him being Prince or not.," Jenine Bockman said while having a meal at Tea and Sympathy in the West Village with her family.

What is next for the commoner once known as Prince Andrew probably involves a fleet of moving trucks as he packs up the trappings of his once royal life to move to an isolated private home owned by his brother, King Charles III.

"When you're in a position of power, you have to do those tough things," Jeff Bockman said referring to King Charles having to take a stand with his younger brother Andrew. "I think he (King Charles) did the right thing, although I'm sure it was very tough."

Life as Andrew knew it will change dramatically given the king's unprecedented act to protect the monarchy by stripping his younger brother of his titles and evicting him to punish him for serious lapses of judgment over his friendship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

"I think it's probably the right move for Charles," Nick Pera, visiting from California, said. "It seems like there's a lot of issues associated with his (Andrew's) affiliation with Epstein... and I'm a huge supporter of the monarchy in England but it feels like it's probably the right move."

It was not exactly clear what house the civilian now known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor will occupy on the king’s private estate at Sandringham 100 miles (160 kilometers) north of London. But it will undoubtedly be smaller than Royal Lodge, the 30-room luxurious home that belies its rustic name.

As the Epstein drama was reignited recently by revelations that Andrew stayed friends with the disgraced financier longer than he previously disclosed, his hold on the property became tenuous despite a “cast-iron” lease. Nearly a half century remained on the lease that required the annual sum of a mere peppercorn, an historic and symbolic figure often used in real estate transactions.

Andrew did not put up a fight when he was served notice to surrender the lease to the home on 99 acres (50 hectares) that includes a swimming pool, several cottages and a bird enclosure.

He will move as soon as practical to Sandringham, the longtime refuge for Charles along the windswept North Sea coast of eastern England. The 20,000 acre (8,000 hectare) estate is where the family spends Christmas.

How soon he moves, however, was not disclosed but he's not expected to be among the working members of the family who are seen in public walking to church on Christmas morning.

The move to insulate the crown from the scandal-tainted Andrew will not just affect the former prince.

Ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, who was also ensnared in the Epstein scandal, had shared Royal Lodge with him. Ferguson, who is no longer known as the Duchess of York, will have to find a new place to live.

The couple's daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, however, will retain their titles along with HRH, which stands for her royal highness because they are the granddaughters of a sovereign, Queen Elizabeth II.

The king is stepping in with his private wealth to financially support his brother, whose money woes have often been at the heart of previous scandals over shady business deals and questionable relationships.

Andrew, who has not been a working member of the royal family since he was suspended from duties following a disastrous 2019 interview in which he tried to defend his relationship with Epstein, has no known source of income beyond a modest pension from his 22-year Royal Navy career.

Despite loses his titles and nobility, Andrew remains eighth in line to the throne.

Removing him from the line of succession would require action from Parliament and that is unlikely at this point.

AP video produced by Joseph B. Frederick