Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor

Prince Andrew has been stripped of his "prince" title and will leave his Windsor mansion, Royal Lodge, Buckingham Palace has announced. The King has "initiated a formal process" to remove his titles, it said, and Andrew will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. Andrew, 65 - the King's younger brother - has continued to face more questions about his private life in recent months. His links to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein have caused problems for the Royal Family. The prince, who relinquished his titles this month, has always strongly denied any wrongdoing. The dramatic fall from grace affects not just him but his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson and their children, Beatrice and Eugenie. "His Majesty has today initiated a formal process to remove the Style, Titles and Honours of Prince Andrew," Buckingham Palace said in a statement on Thursday evening. "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." The language of Buckingham Palace's statement was "very brutal," royal historian Kelly Swaby told the BBC. "Ordinary people don't care about the semantics, they want to see punishment, and public opinion is very much against Andrew, the Palace knows that, and the language very much reflects that". The decision was made, and action taken, due to serious lapses in Andrew's judgement, it is understood. It is also understood that the wider Royal Family and the government was consulted, and made clear it supports the decision. The BBC's former royal correspondent Jennie Bond said she thought the Prince of Wales had pushed for the recent action. It is understood Andrew will be relocated to the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, but details about his specific housing have not been released. The wider Sandringham estate covers approximately 20,000 acres (8,100 hectares) with 600 acres (242 hectares) of gardens - and the Palace has not said which property he will stay in. It is understood that Andrew is unlikely to move into Sandringham's Wood Farm, his late father's former home. Andrew's ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, 66, will also move out of Royal Lodge and make her own living arrangements, it is understood. She lost her courtesy royal divorcee title as a duchess in early October, when Andrew lost the use of his Duke of York title - reverting to her maiden name. Though the public had long referred to her as "Fergie", royal commentator Richard Palmer told the BBC at the time the title change would "no doubt" have an impact. "She will have lost a bit of cachet over this," he said. "She certainly does use the title." Their places in the line of succession will also stay the same. Andrew remains eighth in line to the throne despite losing his titles - followed by Beatrice and Eugenie in ninth and twelfth place. But their positions in the family are "low down" and will likely slip further with time, royal commentator Victoria Murphy said previously - adding that she could not see them, as non-working royals, step into official duties any time soon. There was an "appreciation of the fact that this scandal doesn't involve them," she also said, "and it's not fair for it to impact them directly in the independent lives they are carving out for themselves". And the King will make "appropriate private provision" for his brother as he moves out of his home. Royal sources have previously said the King has tried to apply pressure, and last year cut off Andrew's funding. Andrew also cultivated his own independent sources of funding since leaving public life, including business connections w