Prince Andrew’s life has taken another dramatic turn after it was announced he would lose his prince title and be required to leave the Royal Lodge.
At 65, this marks yet another chapter in a long and turbulent saga that has shadowed him for over a decade.
Recent weeks have intensified scrutiny of the former Duke of York, with allegations surrounding his tenure as a government trade envoy, connections to alleged Chinese spies, and his long-criticized friendship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
From the first Mail publication of a photograph with Virginia Giuffre in 2011, to her tragic suicide earlier this year and the posthumous release of her memoir, Andrew has struggled to shake the spotlight.
Controversial Friendship With Jeffrey Epstein
Andrew’s disastrous 2019 interview with Newsnight presenter Emily Maitlis remains one of the most infamous moments in his public life.
Attempting to explain his relationship with Epstein, he insisted the friendship had “seriously beneficial outcomes,” despite Epstein’s criminal history.
He described Epstein’s behavior as merely “unbecoming” rather than outright criminal at first, prompting Maitlis to challenge him: “Unbecoming? He was a sex offender.”
Andrew defended himself, saying some of the opportunities and people he encountered through Epstein had been useful—but admitted, with hindsight, that staying in contact post-conviction was “not something that was becoming for a member of the royal family.”
Denying the ‘Party Prince’ Label
Andrew also denied ever being the notorious “party prince” of the 1980s, insisting his lifestyle was far more restrained than reported.
“I never really partied,” he told Maitlis. “Going to Jeffrey’s was not about partying, absolutely not.”
However, recent revelations have painted a very different picture. Giuffre’s memoir alleges multiple sexual encounters with Andrew, including an orgy on Epstein’s private Caribbean island in 2001.
Additional claims suggest Andrew had 40 prostitutes flown to him during a four-day taxpayer-funded trip to Thailand, where he was officially acting as a trade envoy.
Royal historian Andrew Lownie described these trips as opportunistic, painting a stark contrast to Andrew’s public denials.
Andrew Claims Epstein Was Just a ‘Plus One’
In his defense, Andrew insisted Epstein was not a close friend but rather “a plus one” to Ghislaine Maxwell, who was later imprisoned for her role in procuring young girls for Epstein.
He claimed many of his visits to Epstein’s properties were for convenience, and said he was unaware of the full extent of Epstein’s crimes at the time.
Despite these assertions, recently surfaced emails suggest otherwise.
Weeks after claiming he had ended ties, Andrew wrote to Epstein, “we are in it together,” showing continued contact despite Epstein’s prison record and public scrutiny.
A ‘Constant Sore’ for the Royal Family
In 2019, Andrew described the Epstein scandal as a “constant sore,” asserting that it affected him personally but not the wider monarchy.
Yet recent developments show the controversy has overshadowed the royal family’s work, including King Charles III’s recent diplomatic visits.
Public sentiment appears increasingly critical, exemplified by a demonstrator publicly questioning Charles about Andrew’s connections to Epstein at Lichfield Cathedral.
With the removal of Andrew’s titles and privileges, Buckingham Palace hopes to prevent such confrontations in the future.
But for Andrew, the damage to his reputation, and the shadow it casts over the monarchy, seems unlikely to fade anytime soon.