Britain’s King Charles has stripped his younger brother, Prince Andrew, of his royal title and removed him from his Windsor home, Buckingham Palace announced on Friday, distancing the monarchy from Andrew’s links to the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.

Andrew, 65, has faced intense scrutiny in recent years over his ties to the late sex offender Epstein.

Earlier this month, he was ordered to stop using his title of Duke of York. King Charles has now taken further action, removing all his remaining titles and renaming him Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

A palace statement confirmed that Andrew has been served formal notice to surrender the lease of his Royal Lodge residence on the Windsor Estate. He will be relocated to private accommodation on the Sandringham estate.

“These measures are necessary, despite Andrew continuing to deny the allegations,” the palace said, adding that the royal couple’s thoughts “remain with the victims and survivors of abuse.”

Andrew stepped down from royal duties in 2019 and was stripped of military and charity roles in 2022 after allegations of sexual misconduct, claims he has repeatedly denied.

He later settled with Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of abusing her when she was a teenager.

Recent correspondence between Andrew and Epstein, published by British media, shows Andrew telling Epstein they should “keep in close touch.”

A palace source said King Charles decided with support from the wider royal family, including Prince William.

The move comes amid declining support for the royal family among younger generations, with Charles prioritising the protection of the monarchy’s reputation.