King Charles sent shockwaves around the world when Buckingham Palace announced that the monarch formally removed the titles of his brother, Prince Andrew, on October 30. The former Duke of York will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, and has been evicted from his longtime home, Royal Lodge. The unprecedented announcement has raised numerous questions about Andrew's new life, including where he'll live, how he'll make money, and what will happen to his daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.
Andrew Lownie, author of Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, tells Marie Claire that things won't change too much in terms of the disgraced royal's schedule. Like he was already doing at Royal Lodge, Lownie says that Andrew's routine will be "a quiet life of shooting weekends, golf, visits from his family, watching videos and going riding, all away from public view."
"It may also be a time spent with lawyers dealing with charges that may be brought against him," the royal biographer adds.
The former Duke of York is seen at the Duchess of Kent's funeral in September.
While it was previously announced that Andrew would no longer be using his Duke of York title, The King decided that further, more dramatic action was necessary based on his brother's actions. However, instead of taking up time in parliament, it's understood The King consulted with legal and constitutional experts—along with the wider Royal Family—in making the decision to remove the dukedom of York from the Peerage Roll, which ensures that the title cannot be used officially.
Cindy McCreery, a cultural historian and monarchy expert at the University of Sydney, tells Marie Claire that the removal of his prince title speaks volumes. "It's not just he's Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, it's that he's just a plain Mr. Andrew Mountbatten Windsor instead of His Royal Highness, instead of Prince Andrew," she says.
"I think there's broad support for this. But it is nevertheless for many people, particularly senior folks, quite a shock to wake up and find that someone who's always been known, not necessarily approvingly, but nevertheless known as a prince, is an ordinary person." She adds, "But it is, I think, a testament to the commitment of Charles to really be seen to be acting swiftly and decisively here."
As for Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, their princess titles remain unaffected by their father's downfall. As the daughters of Andrew, who is the son of Queen Elizabeth II, their titles are protected by King George V’s Letters Patent of 1917. Eugenie and Beatrice will retain their Her Royal Highness styles as well.
Andrew is seen with his daughters Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice ahead of Queen Elizabeth's funeral in 2022.
As for his finances, The King will be responsible for taking care of his brother, who hasn't been a working royal since 2019. Instead of moving into Frogmore Cottage, as previously expected, the former Duke of York is heading to a private residence on the Sandringham estate.
Buckingham Palace has not released details of which property Andrew will be living in, but Wood Farm, the previous home of Prince Philip, is said to not be an option at the moment, per the BBC. Other unoccupied properties include York Cottage, Gardens House and Park House, the birthplace of Princess Diana. As the Sandringham estate is the private property of The King, no taxpayer money will be spent on housing Andrew. His ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, who lives with Andrew at Royal Lodge, will be responsible for finding her own lodging.
Whether the former prince will be able to come up with his own income stream is unclear, given his public perception and friendship with late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. However, it's understood The King will provide Andrew with an appropriate private provision.
York Cottage on the Sandringham estate is a potential home for Prince Andrew.
Regarding his security situation, the ex-Duke of York lost his taxpayer-paid protection after his HRH style was removed in 2022. The move occurred following his case with Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre, who accused Andrew of sexual assault. The case was settled for an undisclosed amount and Andrew continues to deny the allegations against him.
The King then paid for his brother's security until 2024, when he stripped Andrew of his allowance. However, now that the former duke is moving to Sandringham, he'll be covered by the security measures The King has in place on his private estate.
