In perhaps one of the most humiliating aspects of the man formerly known as Prince Andrew losing his royal titles and privileges, the former Duke of York now has to bow to his daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, who have retained their princess titles and Her Royal Highness stylings.
Amid more information being revealed about his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, on October 30 Andrew’s older brother King Charles made the shocking decision to strip his brother of his royal titles and privileges, as well as remove him from his 30-room mansion, Royal Lodge, where he had lived since 2003. This announcement from Buckingham Palace came two weeks after it was announced on October 17 that Andrew would give up his Duke of York title, and that Andrew’s ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, who had retained her Duchess of York title even after their 1996 divorce, would also be surrendering her title, as well.
Andrew henceforth will be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, and veteran royal biographer Robert Hardman told The Daily Mail’s “Palace Confidential” that Andrew “probably will” have to bow to Beatrice and Eugenie in public, since they now outrank him. That said, Hardman added, Andrew won’t likely do so “happily.”
When it comes to Beatrice and Eugenie, “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.”
“When you are monarch, your loyalty to the institution outweighs your loyalty to individuals,” he added. “The late Queen [Elizabeth] found it incredibly difficult to essentially force him [Andrew] to leave public life.”
Of the prestigious Duke of York title—which she personally gave her second son on his July 23, 1986 wedding day—“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 of the time 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.”
The King’s decision indicates a clear precedent, Hardman continued: “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,” he added.
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