Prince Andrew is the eldest brother of King Charles III, eighth in line to the throne. His titles include the Duke of York and the Earl of Inverness. He lives in Royal Lodge, a mansion in Windsor Great Park in Britain, on which he pays a peppercorn rent.
Andrew's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted paedophile, has dogged the monarchy for over a decade. Virginia Giuffre accused him of sexual abuse when she was 17 years old. Andrew has always denied any wrongdoing. On October 17th 2025, prompted by the publication of a posthumous book by Giuffre, the prince agreed to no longer use his titles. The Mail on Sunday also alleged that he had asked his police bodyguard to dig up dirt on his accuser; the Metropolitan Police said it was "actively looking into the claims".
After the latest release from the Epstein files, Thames Valley Police began assessing two separate allegations: first, that Epstein trafficked a woman to the Windsor Castle estate for sex with Andrew; second, that Andrew forwarded Epstein confidential documents relating to his time as trade envoy. King Charles III had already stripped his brother of his royal status and home, and said he stood "ready to support" a police investigation. Keir Starmer, the prime minister, suggested Andrew should testify before America's Congress.
Amanda Thirsk, Andrew's former private secretary, appears frequently in the files, having facilitated meetings with Epstein and invited him to Andrew's 50th birthday party years after Epstein's conviction. David Stern, an aide who was made director of a royal charity, helped Andrew's ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, secure Epstein's assistance in paying off debts. As a trade envoy, a member of the royal family is exempt from the Freedom of Information Act.
Parliament can argue over whether Andrew should be stripped of his princeship, but that requires a "letters patent" from the king or an act of Parliament. Politicians have no power over royal rent-setting: the Crown Estate is independent. The ultimate sanction would be for Parliament to pass an act removing him from the line of succession, but to tinker with the hereditary principle would be to fiddle with the idea of monarchy itself.
Tact, n.: The unsaid part of what you're thinking.