**BONUS EPISODE** The King Ended His Brother’s Royal Life formally stripping Prince Andrew of his titles, honours, and home

0:03 Callarogus Shark Media. Hello and welcome to a special Bonus Palace Intrigue episode. I'm your Host, Mark Francis. A statement from Buckingham Palace. His Majesty today initiated a formal process to remove the style, titles and honors of Prince Andrew. Prince Andrew will now be known as Andrew mount Batten Windsor. His lease on Royal Lodge has to date provided him with legal protection to continue in residence. Formal notice has now been served to surrender the lease and he will move to alternative private accommodation. These censures are deemed necessary notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him. Their Majesties wish to make clear that their thoughts and utmost sympathies have been and will remain with the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse.

0:58 In The Guardian, Robert Booth call this the most consequential action King Charles has taken since he ascended the throne in twenty twenty two. The defenestration of Prince Andrew now to be known only as Andrew mount Batton Windsor, and the removal of his cherished privilege of royal status is an act of utmost ruthlessness by a king ascending the throne at seventy three. Charles always knew he would play a caretaker role for the monarchy and so could not allow rot to set into an institution that lives and dies by public consent. When the BBC this week reminded the world of a picture taken in the garden of Royal Lodge, the Windsor home Andrew was being turfed out of which features not in the Epstein and Maxwell, both convicted child sex offenders, but also the convicted rapist Harvey Weinstein, it cannot have been difficult to decide to deliver the final blow. Charles decided that neither he nor the institution of the Royal family could be in this together. Ever again, with Andrew, Charles would no doubt have had his late mother's views in mind when he signed off Thursday Night's statement announcing the formal process to remove the style, titles and honors of Prince Andrew. That notice has now been served to surrender the lease on Royal Lodge, and that these censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him in the simplest terms.

2:16 The issue also seemed to boil down to a question of whose side are you on? The Telegraphs Indian McTaggart told Skyne News the word unprecedented is often overused in royal reporting, but it's absolutely warranted in this case. McTaggart said. The King stripping Andrew of all his remaining titles was his nuclear button, and I think that the Palace left no room for misunderstanding in its statement released yesterday. There are few living royals who put as much store by status and title as he did, so yes, it will sting. He really sort of used it as a currency with the friends that he gathered and the various roles that he had, so this will hurt. It is believed Andrew will move to Sandringham State, although there have been conflicting ports.

3:00 Sandringham is where the royals traditionally spend Christmas, so we're likely to have another storyline in twenty twenty six, most notably if Prince William decides to spend the holidays with the Middletons For this Christmas. The Telegraph is reporting that Andrews moved to Sandringham won't take place until next year, saving the King another ugly media cycle. In a statement to the BBC, Virginia Geoffrey's family said, today an ordinary American girl from an ordinary American family brought down a British prince with her truth and extraordinary courage. Virginia Roberts Geoffrey, our sister, a child when she was sexually assaulted by Andrew, never stopped fighting for accountability for what had happened to her and countless other survivors like her. Today she declares a victory. We her family, along with her survivors sisters, continued Virginia's battle and will not rest until the same accountability applies to all of her abuses and a betters connected to Jeoffrey Epstein and Gilain Maxwell more in just a moment. Most of Friday's front pages focused on the end of Prince Andrew's royal life and the beginning of life as mister Andrew Mount Batton, Windsor. The Sun led with the headline the Andrew formerly known as Prince, calling the move the price to be paid for fourteen years of damage to the royal family's reputation. Its editorial accused Andrew of having lied and obfuscated at every turn, declaring there is now no place in public life for him and urging that he disappeared from view for good. The Daily Star echoed the tone, with the royal formerly known

4:33 as Prince, joking that we can think of a few other names. The Daily Mirror went for a single word finally, alongside the subheading meet mister Windsor. The Guardian reported that the decision came amid anxiety within the royal household about Andrew's friendship with Jeffrey Epstein and allegations from Virginia Geoffrey. The Daily Telegraph wrote Andrew no longer Prince, saying the decision followed nearly two weeks of family negotiation and quoting a royal source who cited serious lapses of judgment. The paper added that the Prince of Wales was fully supportive of his father's actions. The Times ran with Andrew stripped of his prince title and home, saying the King's brother has been banished to a lonely life at Sandringham, where he will live privately funded by the King. It added that Sarah Ferguson is unlikely to join him, ending their seventeen years of cohabitation at Royal Lodge. The Independent described the move as a humiliation for Andrew, while the Eyepaper called it a historic move to save the monarchy and described him as a stain on his family's reputation. The Daily Express declared King removes style titles and honors from brother, praising the decision as common sense finally prevailing. Meanwhile, The Daily Mail opted for another succent headline banished. Andrew Mountbatten Windsor has been officially removed from the Roll of the Peerage, which serves as the official public record of all peers

6:03 and peerages across England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom. Following the King's decision, Andrew's name was swiftly deleted from the one hundred and eighty five page document, which lists hereditary peers, members of the House of Lords and senior members of the royal family. Andrew remains eighth in line to the throne, a position that cannot be altered without parliamentary legislation and the agreement of all Commonwealth realms where the King is head of state President does exist for such a change. Edward, the eighth was removed from the line of succession following his abdication in nineteen thirty six, but experts say a similar move against Andrew would be complex and time consuming. Andrew technically remains on the list of the Councilors of State, senior royals who can perform constitutional duties on behalf of the King of he is abroad or unwell. However, as a non working royal, he is not expected to be called upon to serve in that capacity. The list of councilors was expanded recently to ensure that other active members of the family are available to fulfill the role. The current order of succession, as confirmed by the Palace is as follows, the Prince of Wales William, Prince George of Wales, Princess Charlotte of Wales, Prince Louis of Wales, the Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry, Prince Archie of Sussex, Princess Lillabet of Sussex, Andrew Mount Batton Windsor. For the throne to make it to Mister Mount Baton Windsor, there would have to be unimaginable tragedies taking out two families who live in two different hemispheres that said polling suggests people would rather he be removed

7:37 were Andrew skipped the line then moved through Andrew's heirs. Once you run to the end of that list you find number fifteen, the Duke of Edinburgh, who, in this extremely unlikely tragic scenario, would seem the right choice. Downing Street has confirmed that the government will not support efforts to change the law to remove Andrew from the line of succession. A Number ten spokesperson said there were no plans to take such a step. The Government is committed to us in parliamentary time to improve the lives of working people, a spokesman said. When asked whether ministers would seek to block a private member's bill on the matter, the response was the same. There are no plans to make legislative changes. Obviously, the provisions for MPs to put forward legislation are well established. Those would be decisions for MPs and Parliament. And there you have it. If you'd like to email us or addresses the Palace Intrigue at gmail dot com, please follow us at Spotify, Apple or the app of your choice. This has been a special bonus episode of Palace Intrigue. We'll have more episodes to follow on our regular schedule and bonus when necessary. I'm Mike Francis My thanks to John McDermott.