In what many are calling one of the most humiliating turns for the man once known as Prince Andrew, the former Duke of York is now required to bow to his own daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, both of whom have retained their royal titles and Her Royal Highness status.
Following the continued fallout from his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, King Charles made a stunning move on October 30 by stripping his younger brother of all royal titles and privileges. The King also ordered Andrew to vacate his 30-room mansion, Royal Lodge, where he had lived since 2003.
Buckingham Palace’s announcement came just two weeks after the October 17 declaration that Andrew would relinquish his Duke of York title, and that his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, who had held onto her Duchess of York title even after their 1996 divorce, would also give it up.
Now known simply as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, the disgraced royal reportedly “probably will” have to bow to Beatrice and Eugenie in public, according to royal biographer Robert Hardman, who shared his insight with The Daily Mail’s “Palace Confidential.” Hardman added, however, that Andrew is unlikely to do so “happily.”
Regarding Beatrice and Eugenie, Hardman noted, “All along, the King and other members of the family have been concerned that the sins of the family do not befall them. They are blameless, they have led a pretty upright life and are level-headed and very nice young women.”
Hardman further stated that Charles’s decision is “effectively categorizing him in the same way as war criminals and enemies of state,” calling it “the hardest decision of his reign.”
“When you are monarch, your loyalty to the institution outweighs your loyalty to individuals,” Hardman explained. “The late Queen [Elizabeth] found it incredibly difficult to essentially force him [Andrew] to leave public life.”
Speaking about the Duke of York title, which Queen Elizabeth personally bestowed upon Andrew on his wedding day, July 23, 1986, Hardman reflected, “For her, she was a Princess of York, her father was Duke of York before becoming King George VI, it was such a precious thing to her, and she was so pleased to give it to him on his wedding day.”
“Suddenly, it became tainted,” Hardman said, adding that before the Queen’s death in 2022, “As far as she was concerned, things had reached rock bottom. Of course, there’s now been a much longer, deeper drop.”
Hardman concluded that the King’s decision sets a clear precedent: “If you seriously let down the royal side, then these things that over the years members of the family took for granted can be taken away.”