Former Prince Andrew faces the most consequential reset of his public standing in years. According to palace-facing sources, the Duke’s title removal moved only after internal deliberations and legal checks.
King Charles initiated the formal process that strips styles and honors and compels the Royal Lodge lease surrender. Meanwhile, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor is set to relocate to private accommodation at Sandringham, and Sarah Ferguson will secure a separate home, marking a practical split in living arrangements.
Prince Andrew ‘had been dragging his heels’ on title removal, per source
Under the hood, insiders describe weeks of constitutional and contractual due diligence as per PEOPLE. Former Queen Elizabeth press secretary Ailsa Anderson said, “Andrew had been dragging his heels,” adding that lawyers worked through lease issues at Royal Lodge before the announcement. She also noted the King likely felt “mixed emotions,” given the family dimension alongside institutional duty. The description matches a stepwise approach that concluded only once every procedural box was ticked.
Moreover, commentators stress the move’s rarity. PEOPLE reports the King used the Royal Prerogative to advance the removals without Parliament, a tool available for managing certain titles and honors. Consequently, Andrew will be styled Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, and he will surrender the Windsor Great Park lease.
One palace-circles source called the sweep “nothing like this.” That explains how unusual the combined title and housing actions are within recent royal memory.
Additionally, the residence plan draws a bright line for the household. PEOPLE reports the former prince will move to a Sandringham property on a timeline the palace describes as as soon as practicable. Separately, sources say ex-wife Sarah Ferguson will move forward independently, with no palace-provided address anticipated.
Earlier tabloid chatter suggested he had sought two homes, including Frogmore Cottage. However, current guidance centers on a single Sandringham move and Ferguson’s independent arrangements.
Altogether, the picture is clear. The monarch acted. Advisers finalized the paperwork, and the former prince no longer controls the timetable. A source close to the Palace stated, “At heart, he[King Charles]has great integrity, and he’s had to balance family and fraternal love and what the institution and country needs”. Therefore, the title removal and lease surrender proceed in tandem, while living arrangements are separate.
