The front pages of national newspapers on display in London showing Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor leaving Aylsham Police Station. Photo credit: Yui Mok/PA Wire
Stephen Price
Like many Nation Cymru readers, I’ve been gripped by the release of the ‘Epstein files’ over the past few weeks.
Night after night, being sent or sharing social media posts with some of the most horrifying accusations levelled at Epstein, Maxwell and their high-powered associates.
Of course, many of the documents are simply that, accusations, but much of the photographic evidence and email exchange has exposed a scandal of historical proportions that echoes across the world and will continue to do so for many years to come.
The UK media’s approach to the Epstein files, and widescale abuse of women and children – many of whom are mere babies, has been to distract, to confuse or to ignore.
Our sanctioned media-feeds, news sites and papers are filled to the rafters with Andrew Mountbatten Windsor and Mandelson updates, and rather tellingly, very little on Epstein and the contents of the files themselves. Convenient that.
Amid the furore in the UK, King Charles officially stripped his disgraced brother of both his HRH style and his prince title on 6 November, having issued a Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the Realm which was published in The Gazette, the UK’s official public record, by the Crown Office.
The entry read: “THE KING has been pleased by Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the Realm dated 3 November 2025 to declare that Andrew Mountbatten Windsor shall no longer be entitled to hold and enjoy the style, title or attribute of ‘Royal Highness’ and the titular dignity of ‘Prince’.”
Another entry confirmed the removal of Andrew from the Roll of Peerage as the Duke of York, as previously announced.
Hands clean
Charles’s decision to banish Andrew from the monarchy and remove his birthright to be a prince, as well as his dukedom, followed growing controversy over his links to the convicted paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
He has strenuously denied the allegations, but the damage is done, and will never be undone.
Andrew has tainted the reputation of the royal family with his association with Epstein and allegations he sexually abused Virginia Giuffre after she was trafficked by the financier. Now, with the release of the Epstein files, more damning revelations might yet be to come.
Photo issued by the US Department of Justice of a photograph appearing to show Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor reclining across the laps of five people has been released in the latest tranche of Epstein files.Photo US Department of Justice/PA Wire
So what has the royal family done? Besides stump up £12 million hush money?
They’ve removed his title, washed their hands clean of their connections to one of their brightest and best key members. Job done.
Over to that man-on-the-street Andy M B himself, this is his problem to mop up now. As for the actual royals, the ever-decreasing band of real ones, it’s business as usual and time to choose a nice frock for Kate for the BAFTAS.
“Titles are the point”
In the immediate days following the loss of Andrew’s title, I took a little delight in both reading and writing ‘Andrew Mountbatten Windsor’.
That’ll sock it to him! Look, a normal name just like us!
Only, it’s not just a normal name is it. It’s one steeped in royal lineage and privilege, as telling a marker for his life of inherited and unearned wealth and comfort and esteem as the prince title was.
Scrolling through Instagram the other night, however, I was struck by the words of Ian Smith from Helpu who was publicising the work of the Republic Campaign.
He wrote: “Not calling him ‘Andrew’. He’s Prince Andrew. Because titles are the point. Titles protected him. Titles insulated him. Titles helped make the whole mess untouchable.
“There was a £12 million payment by Queen Elizabeth II, to make it all quietly disappear. Totally normal behaviour, obviously. Nothing to see here. It’s about what happens when the corrupt Royal institution starts protecting itself instead of doing the right thing.”
Ian’s words couldn’t have hit the nail on the head better. Andrew accepted all the trappings of his birthright, and up to this day, continues to indulge in the excesses of million pounds worth of property, vehicles, grounds and suchlike.
Surrounded by servants and all the trimmings of his royal lifestyle, albeit with perhaps a different postcode, he is and always will be a royal, with a queen for a mother and now a king for a brother.
The removal of his title serves to benefit only the royal family.
Make no mistake. It has been removed to protect them, for damage control, and for no other reason.
The heinous crimes he is accused of, importantly, took place while he was ‘Prince Andrew’. He should be tried under that title, too. His crimes are crimes of a supposed prince after all.
Andrew (left) and then Prince of Wales attend the Order of the Garter Service at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, Windsor. . Photo Michael Dunlea/PA Wire
We in Wales have little to admire in the royal family, as we beg, cap in hand for fair play with regard to the Crown Estates. As I’ve said before, equality on this front should be a minimum ask – a return of the lands in their totality should be our goal.
That Charles hasn’t come forward to offer a solution, while Labour-led Welsh Government keep buying time, says a lot.
But here we are, being told by ‘our king’ that his brother, Andrew, is no longer part of the family.
Only, for once, the power, here, lies with us.
I’m not one for anyone suffering for sins of their brothers, but grave sins have been levelled at Mountbatten Windsor, and royal money has been used to try to silence them.
Andrew is an integral part of a corrupt, outdated and out of touch system that should have no bearing on UK, and especially Welsh, political life in 2026.
While we are forced to piece together some sense from the chaotic and highly-redacted Epstein files release, we should not for one moment allow Andrew’s title to be forgotten, his connections to be forgotten, and for him to be allowed to be shielded from accusations from Virginia Giuffre and others.
If we’re forced to accept that Charles is our king, we should also accept – no, demand – the disgraceful notion that Andrew is still our prince.
And let’s hurry the end of this outdated, undemocratic and costly ‘tradition’ which is – behind the pomp, pageantry and posh BAFTA frocks – rotten to its core.
It’s a case of ‘when’ and not ‘if’. And that time is now.
The Republic Campaign is currently calling for a Royal Enquiry, and encouraging UK citizens to write to their MP, sharing: “Andrew may have been arrested, but the royals still need to be held to account.
“The royals have clearly been covering up for Andrew, it is not believable that they haven’t known all the details of his actions and contact with Epstein for years.
“Use this form to tell your MP there needs to be a full-blown parliamentary or independent inquiry into the royal Espstein scandal.”
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