Revealed: The Surprising Reason Queen Elizabeth Wouldn't Have Stripped Disgraced Andrew of His Royal Title Despite Disturbing Epstein Scandal
Royal insiders said Queen Elizabeth II would have protected Prince Andrew's title amid Epstein scandal.
Nov. 1 2025, Published 12:00 p.m. ET
In a shocking royal shakeup, King Charles III stripped Andrew Mountbatten Windsor of his prince title—an audacious move that his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, would have never dared to make.
"This must have been a painful decision for the King — this is his brother, after all," royal author Christopher Andersen said after the controversial announcement on Thursday, October 30.
The Queen's Loyalty to Her 'Favorite' Son
The late Queen Elizabeth once protected her favorite son from disgrace.
The decision comes amid the fallout from Andrew's continued scandalous ties to Jeffrey Epstein, which has left the royal family facing intense scrutiny.
"Charles must know how much booting Andrew out of the royal family would have hurt his mother, the late queen," Andersen added. "I can't imagine Elizabeth II would have ever gone this far — not ever."
Andrew, 65, was famously known as the queen's "favorite" child, a status that Andersen argues held true "to the very end" of her life.
"She did what she could to protect him," Andersen said.
Inside the King's Decision
King Charles stripped Prince Andrew of his royal title.
The royal fallout deepens as Buckingham Palace officially announced in October 2025 that King Charles III initiated the "formal" process of stripping Andrew of his "style, titles and honors."
The statement made clear that his removal was amid the scandalous legacy of his sexual assault accusations.
Andrew's lease on Royal Lodge, which has allowed him to live there rent-free for years, is now in jeopardy.
"His lease on Royal Lodge has, to date, provided him with legal protection to continue in residence," the official statement read.
"Formal notice has now been served to surrender the lease and he will move to alternative private accommodation."
Family Fallout and Royal Tension
Sarah Ferguson prepared to leave the Windsor home with her ex-husband.
Tension is reportedly brewing between Charles, 76, and Andrew over this living arrangement.
Ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, who also lived in Royal Lodge, will have to vacate alongside Andrew — though speculation suggests she may be allowed to stay at his new digs on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk.
However, it seems the King is offering his brother "a safety net of sorts," Andersen speculated.
Despite giving up his Duke of York title earlier this month, Andrew's removal from the royal roster was deemed "necessary," as stated by Buckingham Palace.
Additionally, the palace reiterated that Andrew continues to deny all accusations against him: "Their Majesties wish to make clear that their thoughts and utmost sympathies have been and will remain with, the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse."
The Shadow of Virginia Giuffre's Memoir
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Virginia Giuffre’s memoir reignited the controversy around Andrew.
The late Virginia Giuffre's posthumously released memoir, Nobody's Girl, has reignited the conversation surrounding Andrew, especially after revelations about his alleged sexual abuse surfaced in the text.
Giuffre accused Andrew of abusing her in 2001 when she was still underage.
"Since then, I've thought a lot about how he behaved," she wrote about Andrew. "He was friendly enough, but still entitled — as if he believed having sex with me was his birthright."
Despite denying the claims, Prince Andrew reached an out-of-court settlement with Giuffre in 2022.
