Prince Andrew kicked out of royal lodge after King’s shock move

After weeks of speculation, Prince Andrew is officially vacating Royal Lodge as King Charles takes decisive action amid renewed scrutiny over Andrew’s ties to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

In a rare and unprecedented move, Buckingham Palace announced on Thursday, October 30, that King Charles has stripped Andrew of all royal titles and privileges.

“His Majesty has today initiated a formal process to remove the Style, Titles and Honours of Prince Andrew. Prince Andrew will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor,” the statement read.

The Palace further confirmed that “formal notice has now been served to surrender the lease [of Royal Lodge], and he will move to alternative private accommodation.”

Sources tell PEOPLE that Andrew is expected to relocate to a property on the private Sandringham estate, with the move funded by King Charles.

This development follows long-standing tensions surrounding Andrew’s “cast-iron” lease, which legally allowed him to stay at Royal Lodge on a peppercorn rent after investing around $10.6 million in refurbishments.

A royal insider told The Sun, “Frogmore Cottage is too small for both, and Adelaide Cottage is around the corner so they will see each other whenever they want.”

The Palace emphasized that “Their Majesties’ sympathies remain with the victims and survivors of all forms of abuse.”