1960-present
Latest News: Andrew Loses “Prince” Title Over Jeffrey Epstein Ties
Amid mounting pressure from the public over his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Andrew’s brother, King Charles III, stripped him of his royal titles, including Prince and Duke of York, and evicted him from his royal estate on October 30.
“Prince Andrew will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement. “These censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him.”
Forced to leave his mansion in Windsor, known as Royal Lodge, Mountbatten Windsor will relocate to Sandringham Estate, which is privately owned by King Charles.
The 65-year-old had previously relinquished the use of his titles in early October, but renewed sexual abuse allegations against him in Virginia Guiffre’s posthumous memoir Nobody's Girl sparked increasing public outrage over the continued funding of his lifestyle.
While he is no longer considered royalty, Mountbatten Windsor still remains eighth in line to the throne. Removing this status would require consent from every Commonwealth nation.
Who Is Andrew Mountbatten Windsor?
Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew and the Duke of York, is the son of Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh. He joined the Royal Navy in 1979 and subsequently became a helicopter pilot, serving as such for 22 years. In 1986 he married Sarah Ferguson in a whirlwind of media attention, but in 1996, the couple divorced. He has served England in various capacities, including as a special representative for international trade and investment. In October 2025, he was formally stripped of his royal titles and evicted from his royal residence over his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Quick Facts
FULL NAME: Andrew Albert Christian Edward Mountbatten Windsor
BORN: February 19, 1960
BIRTHPLACE: London, England
SPOUSE: Sarah Ferguson (1986-1996)
CHILDREN: Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Pisces
Early Life and Education
Andrew Albert Christian Edward Mountbatten Windsor was born on February 19, 1960 at Buckingham Palace, in London. The first child born to a sitting monarch in 103 years, his mother was Queen Elizabeth II and his father was Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. Young Andrew was taught by a governess at Buckingham Palace until he was eight years old, and then he was sent to Heatherdown Preparatory School, in Ascot. When he was 13, Mountbatten Windsor moved on to the Gordonstoun School in Morayshire, Scotland, where his father and older brother, King Charles, went before him.
The year 1977 found Mountbatten Windsor at Lakefield College School in Ontario, Canada, and in 1979, he attended the Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth—a path that led to joining the Royal Navy as an officer and training to become a pilot.
When Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands, a British territory, in 1982, the ship on which Mountbatten Windsor was stationed, the HMS Invincible, was to be sent to retake the island. Throughout the conflict, he flew on various missions and helped with casualty evacuation, transport and search-and-rescue operations. After completing his first frontline tour, Mountbatten Windsor was promoted to lieutenant in February 1984, and the queen appointed him as a personal aide-de-camp.
Ex-Wife Sarah Ferguson and Daughters
In July 1986, Mountbatten Windsor married Sarah Ferguson, whom he had known since childhood — Princess Diana, a longtime friend, was reported to have encouraged the pairing — and once they were married, the queen named the newlyweds the duke and duchess of York. The wedding and subsequent marriage were conducted amidst a media frenzy, which in part contributed to the pair's eventual separation in 1992, as well as their divorce four years later.
They had two children together, Beatrice Elizabeth Mary (born on August 8, 1988) and Eugenie Victoria Helena (born on March 23, 1990).
Posts and Patronages
Mountbatten Windsor formally left the Royal Navy at the end of July 2001. Four years later, in July 2005, he was promoted to honorary captain. He went on to hold several posts in the British army, navy, air force and Commonwealth forces and became the UK's special representative for international trade and investment.
Also involved with numerous organizations, he has served as patron of Fight for Sight, the British Deaf Association, the Children's Foundation, the British Science Association and the Outward Bound Trust.
Jeffrey Epstein Scandal
In November 2019, Mountbatten Windsor announced he was stepping back from public duties over the "disruption" caused by his connection to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who had died by suicide in a Manhattan jail a few months earlier.
In March 2022, a lawyer for Virginia Giuffre, the woman who accused Mountbatten Windsor of sexual abuse, said that he paid her a settlement. Giuffre’s lawsuit against him has since been dismissed.
“I continue to unequivocally regret my ill-judged association with Jeffrey Epstein,” Mountbatten Windsor said in a statement, adding that he would be willing to help with any law enforcement investigations.
In October 2025, Andrew’s brother, King Charles, stripped him of his titles and evicted him from the royal mansion in Windsor over his ties to Epstein and the long-standing allegations against him. “Prince Andrew will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement.
The move was sparked by the release of the posthumous memoir of Guiffre, who died by suicide in April 2025. Despite the removal of his titles, Mountbatten Windsor still remains eighth in line to the throne.
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