Prince Andrew's Royal Downfall: How William and Charles Are Taking Action Following Queen Elizabeth's Death

Britain's Prince Andrew has long been shielded by Queen Elizabeth II's unwavering protection. However, her passing in 2022 left him vulnerable as his downfall accelerated.

Rumors had circulated for years about the 65-year-old royal's questionable behavior, but with the queen's favor, he managed to weather each scandalous headline with damage but remained in the royal fold.

Following his catastrophic 2019 television interview where he failed to explain his connections to US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Andrew was stripped of his HRH title and removed from royal duties.

Despite this, he retained significant royal privileges, including his Duke of York title and residence in the luxurious 30-room Royal Lodge mansion on the Windsor estate, for which he paid minimal rent.

"People complained about him for years and nothing was done. I think also she (the queen) just had a complete blind spot about him," noted biographer Andrew Lownie.

The queen had bestowed the Duke and Duchess of York titles upon Andrew and his then-wife Sarah Ferguson – a historically significant title previously held by Elizabeth II's beloved father, George VI, before his ascension to the throne.

Elizabeth and Andrew, her third child after King Charles III and Princess Anne, shared a special relationship. "The queen was deeply fond of Andrew. They really had a deep bond," explained royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams.

However, explosive revelations in the posthumous memoir of Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre, reiterating detailed allegations of being trafficked to have sex with Andrew on three occasions, ignited further public outrage.

Without the queen's protection, Andrew faced mounting pressure from his older brother, ultimately agreeing to relinquish his cherished Duke of York title and the prestigious Order of the Garter this month.

On Thursday, the king took more drastic action, moving to strip his younger brother of all titles and evicting him from his home of twenty years on the Windsor estate.

Andrew "lost his protector" when Elizabeth died in 2022, and according to Lownie, the king should have been "far more ruthless" earlier.

Charles and Andrew, separated by nearly 12 years in age, have never been close. Reports indicate that Prince William, Charles's heir, has been the driving force behind Andrew's removal from royal life.

UK media suggest that once William succeeds his father, he intends to deepen Andrew's banishment, potentially even prohibiting him from attending his coronation.

Efforts to remove Andrew from Royal Lodge intensified in the past week, particularly with William, Kate, and their three children planning to move into a new home nearby on the Windsor estate.

Andrew had resisted eviction, reportedly demanding to relocate to Frogmore Cottage, previously occupied by Prince Harry and Meghan, while also requesting that Ferguson, his ex-wife with whom he shared the lodge for two decades, be allowed to move into Adelaide Cottage once vacated by William's family.

The BBC recently reported that Andrew hosted Epstein, his girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell – imprisoned for trafficking – and former US film producer Harvey Weinstein, now incarcerated for sexual assault, at the Lodge in 2006 for his daughter Beatrice's 18th birthday.

Public anger has intensified regarding Andrew's privileged lifestyle. On Monday, the king faced heckling during a cathedral visit when someone shouted: "How long have you known about Andrew and Epstein?"

Buckingham Palace recognizes the significant reputational threat posed by the scandal. Andrew will now surrender the Royal Lodge lease as soon as possible and relocate to the king's Sandringham estate in eastern Norfolk, while Ferguson makes her own arrangements.

This decisive action may have been taken to prevent Members of Parliament from breaking the long-standing taboo on questioning royals by holding a parliamentary debate and demanding proper scrutiny of the family's secretive finances.

One palace source told the Sunday Times that some blame lies with the late queen, stating she left "an unexploded bomb for Charles" and that "This was a terrible dereliction of duty. She indulged Andrew all the time and always avoided confrontation."