'A huge fall from grace': Prince Andrew stripped of title, residence in wake of Epstein scandal

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00:00First this hour, the announcement follows fresh outrage over accusations swirling around the scandal-plagued British royal.

00:08King Charles is stripping his disgraced younger brother, Andrew, of all of his remaining titles

00:12and ordering him to move out of his royal residence at Windsor.

00:17It comes a week after the publication of Virginia Dufresne's memoir,

00:21in which the victim of the late convicted sex offender, Geoffrey Epstein,

00:25reiterated in shocking detail allegations that she'd had sex with Andrew three times, including when she was just 17.

00:35Well, for more, let's cross live now to London, where France 24's Benedict Paviot is standing by for us.

00:43Benedict, it did feel over the last few weeks that this move was perhaps almost inevitable.

00:49Tell us, what exactly is Buckingham Palace saying about this decision?

00:55Well, the axe, in that sense, has indeed fallen after months, one could say, years of bad headlines for Prince Andrew,

01:04whom we must now refer to as Andrew.

01:06It is a huge fall from grace for the brother of the king,

01:11a man, let's remember, who was once a business ambassador for the United Kingdom across the world.

01:18So, King Charles has acted decisively tonight.

01:21We'll hope that this draws a line on the endless headlines about Prince Andrew's links to convicted sex offender,

01:28Geoffrey Epstein.

01:30So, Prince Andrew is to lose his prince title, leave also.

01:35He's been ordered to leave his Windsor mansion, known as Royal Lodge.

01:40Buckingham Palace says the king, quote, has today initiated a formal process and his brother will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

01:52As well as the title, the palace says, quote, formal notice has now been served to surrender the lease on Royal Lodge.

01:59This is something that Prince Andrew, or Andrew, as I must now refer to him, was clearly resisting.

02:07This news has come, breaking news has come suddenly tonight.

02:11And as I said, I think the king will very much is distancing himself and the family,

02:17sometimes referred to the Royal Monarchy, British Monarchy, as the firm,

02:21from a man, his brother, who has become absolutely toxic for the reputation and, as they would say,

02:29very much the good work that the royal family carries out.

02:34So, this is very serious, unprecedented.

02:37We've had a first political reaction from Sir Ed Davey, the leader of the Liberal Democrats,

02:42who says that the king is absolutely right to strip Prince Andrew of both his titles and his residence at the Royal Lodge.

02:49He says, Ed Davey says, that Andrew's position become totally untenable,

02:54having disgraced his office and embarrassed the country.

02:58Interestingly, he adds, this is an important step towards rebuilding trust in our institutions

03:03and drawing a line under this whole sorry saga.

03:07It is clear that British public opinion, very much relayed throughout the British media

03:12and, of course, across the world, including François Nguyen,

03:16is very much aware of British public opinion that, just a few weeks ago,

03:21when the king announced on a Friday evening, suddenly in a statement,

03:25indeed from Prince Andrew, but via Buckingham Palace,

03:28that he wouldn't use his titles as opposed to being stripped.

03:32That is a subtlety that certainly was not acceptable.

03:36So, that is it.

03:37Prince Andrew will, is, it's immediately effective,

03:40will not be referred to as Prince anymore.

03:43He is stripped of that.

03:44He's Andrew Mountbatten Windsor as of tonight.

03:48And as you say, Benedict, people there will be hoping this will finally put the controversy

03:52surrounding him to bed.

03:54Benedict Pavio, thanks so much for joining us with that.

03:56That's our correspondent in London.

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