CENTRAL CHANCERY OF THE ORDERS OF KNIGHTHOOD
St. James’s Palace, London S.W.1.
1 December 2025
THE KING has directed that the appointment of Andrew Albert Christian Edward MOUNTBATTEN-WINDSOR to be a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, dated 23 April 2006, shall be cancelled and annulled and that his name shall be erased from the Register of the said Order.
THE KING has directed that the appointment of Andrew Albert Christian Edward MOUNTBATTEN-WINDSOR to be a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, dated 19 February 2011, shall be cancelled and annulled and that his name shall be erased from the Register of the said Order.
(to be dated 30 October 2025)
King Charles III has formally revoked the honors previously awarded to Prince Andrew, including his appointment to the Order of the Garter and the Royal Victorian Order.
In his official capacity, the King has instructed that Prince Andrew’s titles be officially annulled and that his name be removed from the official registers of these historic orders.
Prince Andrew was formerly invested as a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter in 2006 and as a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order in 2011, appointments made during the reign of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
Andrew’s royal and peerage titles have been officially mannered and relinquished by His Majesty King Charles III due to concerns regarding his association with Jeffrey Epstein, which were deemed to reflect serious lapses in judgment.
The Gazette, the official public record of the United Kingdom, published on Monday under the section titled Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood, announced that His Majesty the King has issued a directive to rescind and annul the appointment of Andrew Albert Christian Edward Mountbatten-Windsor as a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, effective from 23 April 2006. As a result, his name will be formally removed from the Register of the said Order.
“THE KING has directed that the appointment of Andrew Albert Christian Edward MOUNTBATTEN-WINDSOR to be a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, dated 19 February 2011, shall be cancelled and annulled and that his name shall be erased from the Register of the said Order.”
He stepped down from royal duties in 2019 after his disastrous Newsnight interview, but the publication of Ms Giuffre’s posthumous memoirs, and the US government’s release of documents from Epstein’s estate has brought fresh focus on Andrew in recent weeks.
The individual formerly holding the ducal title has, over several years, been subject to allegations concerning inappropriate sexual conduct involving a minor, Virginia Giuffre, who was reportedly associated with Jeffrey Epstein. He has consistently and vehemently denied these allegations.
Andrew with Virginia Giuffre and Ghislaine Maxwell (U.S. Department of Justice / PA)
He provided a settlement of several million dollars to Ms. Giuffre in 2022 to resolve a civil claim pertaining to allegations of inappropriate conduct.
American politicians have also criticised the former prince for his “silence” after he missed a deadline last month to respond to their request to sit for an interview about Epstein.
The Order of the Garter is the United Kingdom’s most historic and senior order of chivalry. This distinguished honor is conferred in recognition of exemplary public service, with recipients selected personally by the reigning monarch.
He is set to move from Royal Lodge in Windsor to the King’s private Sandringham estate in Norfolk at some point in the new year, completing his internal exile.