In a developing controversy, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor is facing allegations of having orchestrated the removal of references to Jeffrey Epstein’s victims from official Buckingham Palace statements. This revelation has raised further questions about the disgraced prince’s role in shaping the narrative surrounding his ties with the convicted sex offender.

According to a report by The Times, Andrew repeatedly refused to approve statements that included expressions of support for the victims of abuse. This behavior starkly contrasts with the recent decisive statement issued by Buckingham Palace.

On Thursday, the Palace made headlines with an announcement that Andrew would be stripped of his titles and his residence at Royal Lodge. The statement notably concluded with King Charles and Queen Camilla offering their “thoughts and utmost sympathies” to the “victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse,” a sentiment that has been conspicuously absent from past communications involving Andrew.

A confidant of the King and Queen disclosed to The Times that prior statements, particularly those following Andrew’s calamitous 2019 Newsnight interview, had deliberately omitted mentions of Epstein’s victims. The implication is clear: these omissions were not accidental, as Andrew was required to approve these statements.

A friend of the King and Queen revealed to The Times that, in previous statements issued by the Palace since Andrew’s disastrous 2019 Newsnight interview, references to Epstein’s victims were removed.

And it is no coincidence that these statements had to be signed off by Andrew.

The friend said: ‘There has long been a sense from the family that the voices of the victims needed to be heard in these procurements, because they feature so heavily in this saga and because there is no credible way the Queen and the Duchess of Edinburgh can continue to do the work they do in the areas of sexual abuse if they can’t point to that.

‘Now, the King has lost his patience: you can see this statement is no longer a statement by committee, it’s a statement from the King.’

The Times reported that Andrew did not sign off on any statements from Buckingham Palace that expressed support for the victims of abuse

The historic announcement from Buckingham Palace on Thursday mentioned that King Charles and Queen Camilla’s ‘thoughts and utmost sympathies have been, and will always remain with, the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse’

Another friend said the King and Queen were aware of the public’s opinion of Andrew, adding: ‘They have felt the public anger and they have acted’.

In 2019, Andrew announced he was stepping back from public life in the wake of his Newsnight interview, saying in a statement that Epstein’s suicide left many unanswered questions for ‘his victims, and I deeply sympathise with everyone who has been affected and wants some form of closure’.

But the 2022 Palace statement on the loss of his military affiliations and royal patronages, and Andrew’s last one on October 17, in which he pledged to stop using his Duke of York title, made no mention of abuse survivors.

Buckingham Palace declined to comment.

After Thursday’s statement, insiders said Camilla was ‘completely supportive’ of her husband Charles, and was acutely aware, given her own work over many years with the victims of abuse, how important it was to express their personal sympathies with those affected – in contrast to Andrew, who has shown none.

Both Camilla and Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, have been long time advocates for supporting victims of rape and sexual assault.

The Queen has visited numerous sexual assault referral centres in various countries including the Balkans where she spoke to women who were raped during the Kosovan conflict.

In 2021, she became the Patron of UK charity SafeLives as well as the Patron of the Mirabel Centre – Nigeria’s first Sexual Assault Referral Centre.

Camilla, in her role as Patron of SafeLives, meets domestic abuse frontline staff in a maternity unit at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in October 2022

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, attends a Women, Peace and Security roundtable in the Democratic Republic of Congo in October 2025

In a message to mark the UN Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women in 2020, Camilla, then Duchess of Cornwall, said: ‘Each one of us has a part to play, to do everything in our power to raise awareness, to “reach in” to others, and to support, and be inspired by, those very brave survivors.

Following in her sister-in-law’s footsteps, the Duchess of Edinburgh devotes much of her time to supporting the Women, Peace and Security agenda.

Sophie has visited Washington DC where she met ambassadors working to offer better support for survivors and aiming to eradicate sexual violence in conflict around the world.

The mother-of-two is also the first member of the British royal family to visit the Democratic Republic of Congo to address the impact of sexual and gender based violence in conflict.

So there is no doubt that both royal women will have been proud of the statement released by Buckingham Palace on Thursday.

The bombshell statement said that the disgraced prince will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor – with immediate effect.

‘His Majesty has today initiated a formal process to remove the Style, Titles and Honours of Prince Andrew,’ the statement said.

‘Prince Andrew will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. His lease on Royal Lodge has, to date, provided him with legal protection to continue in residence.

The King was ‘gravely concerned’ that the future of the monarchy was at stake unless he acted decisively to banish his beleaguered brother (pictured with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson at Ascot in 2019)

The Palace had to walk a legal and constitutional tightrope to ensure moves to strip Andrew of his titles and home (pictured, Royal Lodge, where he lived with his ex-wife) did not backfire

The Sandringham estate (pictured, file photo of Sandringham House, the primary residence on the estate), where Andrew is set to move, is the monarch’s private property

‘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.’

It is understood the King Charles III is in the process of sending royal warrants to the Lord Chancellor to remove his brother’s titles and honours. Andrew is said to have not objected.

Although the former duke has been stripped of all his remaining titles those of his daughters, Princess Beatrice, 37, and Princess Eugenie, 35, will remain.

Amid the controversy it was previously understood that His Majesty Charles was very keen to ‘protect’ his nieces who remain Her Royal Highnesses as granddaughters of Queen Elizabeth.

‘He wouldn’t have wanted to sign off on anything that would impact them,’ a source told the Daily Mail.

It is understood Prince William and the Royal Family fully support the King’s leadership on the recent move.

Despite the united family front, however, Buckingham Palace had to walk a legal and constitutional tightrope to ensure moves to completely strip Andrew of his birthright, titles and home did not backfire.

Given the impact of the scandal, there were also serious fears about his mental health, which had to be balanced against the need to act ruthlessly.

William, a long-term mental-health campaigner, is understood to have been particularly worried about his uncle’s wellbeing.

Concerns were also raised privately by other family members including Andrew’s siblings, Prince Edward and Princess Anne.

However, the King and his wife, Queen Camilla, who has long campaigned for those affected by domestic and sexual violence, were also determined to publicly show their support for victims and survivors of ‘any and all forms of abuse’.