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Prince Andrew’s ‘downfall’ — from Epstein friendship to Newsnight interview

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Oct 31, 2025
Prince Andrew’s ‘downfall’ — from Epstein friendship to Newsnight interviewPrince Andrew’s ‘downfall’ — from Epstein friendship to Newsnight interview
King Charles has officially stripped his younger brother Andrew of his ‘Prince’ title and evicted him from the Royal Lodge, the Grade II-listed, 30-room mansion in Windsor that he’s called home for the last 22 years. The 65-year-old, who will now be formally known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, has faced a string of scandals over the last decade — mainly due to sexual abuse allegations, and his links to the late paedophile Jeffrey Epstein and his partner Ghislaine Maxwell. (Picture: NEIL HALL/EPA/Shutterstock)
This latest move from the King and Buckingham Palace is perhaps the biggest — and most symbolic — blow to Andrew amid his highly publicised fall from grace. The Palace said in a statement: ‘His Majesty has today initiated a formal process to remove the Style, Titles and Honours of Prince Andrew.’ The announcement also explained how Andrew’s lease on the Royal Lodge has, to date, ‘provided him with legal protection to continue in residence.’ However, formal notice has ‘now been served to surrender the lease, and he will move to alternative private accommodation.’ (Picture: AFP via Getty Images)
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The royals said these censures are ‘deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he [Andrew] continues to deny the allegations against him.’ King Charles and Queen Camilla concluded the statement, making it clear that ‘their thoughts and utmost sympathies have been, and will remain with, the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse.’ So, as preparations are made for Andrew and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, to leave the Royal Lodge, let’s take a look at the former prince’s ‘scandal’ timeline, from his relationship with Epstein to the infamous 2019 Newsnight interview: (Picture: Getty Images)

1990s — Andrew meets Jeffrey Epstein

Andrew claimed that he met Epstein for the first time in 1999, when Ghislaine Maxwell introduced them. He said in the BBC Newsnight interview: ‘I met through his girlfriend back in 1999 who… and I’d known her since she was at university in the UK and it would be, to some extent, a stretch to say that as it were we were close friends. I mean we were friends because of other people and I had a lot of opportunity to go to the United States but I didn’t have much time with him.’ However, in 2011, Andrew was contradicted by his then-private secretary Alastair Watson. He said that Andrew had known Epstein ‘since being introduced to him in the early 1990s.’ (Picture: Joe Schildhorn/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)
In 2019, the former Duke of York also made a statement to ‘clarify the facts’ around his ‘former association or friendship’ with Epstein. He said: ‘During the time I knew him, I saw him infrequently and probably no more than only once or twice a year. I have stayed in a number of his residences. At no stage during the limited time I spent with him did I see, witness or suspect any behavior of the sort that subsequently led to his arrest and conviction.’ But, during Ghislaine Maxwell’s trial, jurors heard that in the mid-1990s, Andrew flew on Epstein’s private plane with a 14-year-old girl. (Picture: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

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2000 — Epstein and Maxwell attend a party at Windsor Castle

In June 2000, Queen Elizabeth II hosted a party at Windsor to mark Andrew’s 40th birthday, Princess Anne’s 50th, the Queen Mother’s 100th and Princess Margaret’s 70th. Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell were in attendance. In May, Andrew was confirmed as a passenger on Epstein’s private plane. In February, Andrew and Epstein attended Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. The pair were photographed alongside Melania Trump and Gwendolyn Beck. In June, Andrew, Maxwell and Epstein attended Royal Ascot together. (Picture: Getty Images)

2001 — Virginia Guiffre accuses Andrew of sexual assault

Virginia Guiffre — who was trafficked by Epstein — claimed that she was forced to have sex with Andrew three times. In her 2025 memoir, Nobody’s Girl, Giuffre wrote that Andrew ‘believed that having sex with [her] was his birthright.’ (Picture: AFP via Getty Images)

2006 — Epstein attends Princess Beatrice’s 18th birthday party at Windsor Castle

Princess Beatrice had a Victorian-themed birthday party for her 18th at Windsor Castle in July — Epstein, Maxwell, and convicted sex offender Harvey Weinstein were in attendance. Eight days after the party, Epstein was arrested in Palm Beach, Florida, on a single charge of soliciting prostitution. (Picture: EPA)

2008 — Epstein jailed for sex offenses

Epstein was sentenced to 18 months in prison after admitting to prostituting minors. He pleaded guilty to two state charges of soliciting and procuring a person under the age of 18 for prostitution. He avoided federal sex trafficking charges, which could have carried a life sentence. Epstein was also registered as a sex offender and ordered to pay restitution to his identified victims. He only served 13 months in jail and was released in July 2009. (Picture: Corbis via Getty Images)

2010 — Epstein photographed with Andrew

In December 2010, Andrew was photographed with Epstein in New York’s Central Park. He also stayed with him at his New York City townhouse. During the 2019 Newsnight interview, Emily Maitlis broached the subject. She said: ‘He [Epstein] was released,[and] within months, by December of 2010, you went to stay with him at his New York mansion. Why?’ Andrew replied: ‘I went there with the sole purpose of saying to him that because he had been convicted, it was inappropriate for us to be seen together. And I had a number of people counsel me in both directions, either to go and see him or not to go and see him and I took the judgment call that, because this was serious and I felt that doing it over the telephone was the chicken’s way of doing it. I had to go and see him and talk to him.’ (Picture: AFP via Getty Images)
Andrew added: ‘At the time I felt it was the honourable and right thing to do and I admit fully that my judgment was probably colored by my tendency to be too honourable but that’s just the way it is.’ When Maitlis bluntly said that Andrew chose to stay ‘at the house of a convicted sex offender,’ he simply replied: ‘It was a convenient place to stay.’ (Picture: REUTERS)

2011 — Andrew quits as UK trade envoy

After the controversy of the Central Park photos, Andrew quit his role as UK trade envoy. The same year, Andrew’s ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, admitted that Epstein paid £15,000 to her former personal assistant, Johnny O’Sullivan. In 2012, Ferguson addressed this in an interview with the Evening Standard, she said: ‘I personally, on behalf of myself, deeply regret that Jeffrey Epstein became involved in any way with me. I abhor pedophilia and any sexual abuse of children and know that this was a gigantic error of judgment on my behalf. I am just so contrite I cannot say. Whenever I can, I will repay the money and will have nothing ever to do with Jeffrey Epstein ever again.’ (Picture: Getty Images)
Ferguson also claimed that she had ‘no idea of the string of other allegations and court cases against him.’ In a more controversial move, it was discovered in 2025 that Ferguson had emailed Epstein after the publication of the interview, calling him ‘a steadfast, generous and supreme friend’ to both her and her family. (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

2015 — Andrew named in Epstein case

After Andrew was linked to Epstein in court documents, Buckingham Palace released a statement denying he had committed any ‘impropriety.’ Giuffre alleged that she was forced to have sex with Andrew when she was 17, which is under the age of consent in the state of Florida. The Palace said: ‘It is emphatically denied that the Duke of York had any form of sexual contact or relationship with Virginia Roberts.’ Andrew also commented: ‘I just wish to reiterate and to reaffirm the statements that have already been made on my behalf by Buckingham Palace. My focus is on my work.’ (Picture: Getty Images)

2019 — Epstein arrest, death, and Newsnight interview

In July, New York police arrested Epstein on new sex-trafficking charges. In August, he was found dead in his cell by Metropolitan Correctional Center guards. His death was ruled a suicide. The same month, Andrew released a statement saying: ‘At no stage during the limited time I spent with him [Epstein] did I see, witness or suspect any behavior of the sort that subsequently led to his arrest and conviction.’ In November, the infamous Newsnight interview was filmed in Buckingham Palace and aired on BBC Two. During the interview, Andrew claimed he had ‘no recollection’ of ever meeting Guiffre. He also denied having sex with her in March 2001, saying that he was in a Woking Pizza Express with his daughter Beatrice on the day in question. (Picture: PA)

2019 — Andrew steps down from public duties

Four days after the interview, Andrew stepped down from his public royal duties. He said: ‘It has become clear to me over the last few days that the circumstances relating to my former association with Jeffrey Epstein has become a major disruption to my family’s work and the valuable work going on in the many organisations and charities that I am proud to support. Therefore, I have asked Her Majesty if I may step back from public duties for the foreseeable future, and she has given her permission.’ (Picture: Getty Images)
He added: ‘I continue to unequivocally regret my ill-judged association with Jeffrey Epstein. His suicide has left many unanswered questions, particularly for his victims, and I deeply sympathise with everyone who has been affected and wants some form of closure. I can only hope that, in time, they will be able to rebuild their lives. Of course, I am willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations, if required.’ (Picture: Toby Melville/PA Wire)

2021 — Giuffre files civil case against Andrew

In August 2021, Guiffre filed a legal case against Andrew. She said it was ‘past the time for him to be held to account.’ Guiffre’s lawyers sought unspecified damages at a federal court in New York. Documents claimed she was ‘lent out for sexual purposes’ as a minor by Epstein. Guiffre stated in the suit: ‘I am holding Prince Andrew accountable for what he did to me. The powerful and the rich are not exempt from being held responsible for their actions. I hope that other victims will see that it is possible not to live in silence and fear, but one can reclaim her life by speaking out and demanding justice.’ (Picture: Getty Images)

2022 — Queen Elizabeth strips Andrew of his military affiliations and royal patronages

Shortly after a US judge ruled that the civil case against Andrew could go ahead, the former prince’s military affiliations and royal patronages were removed. Over 150 veterans called for the late Queen to remove Andrew’s honorary military positions. Buckingham Palace said in a statement: ‘With The Queen’s approval and agreement, The Duke of York’s military affiliations and Royal patronages have been returned to The Queen. The Duke of York will continue not to undertake any public duties and is defending this case as a private citizen.’ In February, Andrew and Guiffre settled out of court. The amount was not publicly disclosed. (Picture: Karwai Tang/WireImage)

2025 — Giuffre dies, her posthumous memoir is released, Andrew loses ‘Prince’ title

In April, Giuffre died by suicide in Australia, where she lived with her husband and three children. She was 41 years old. In her posthumous memoir, Nobody’s Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice, released in October, Guiffre opened up about the abuse she was subjected to by Epstein and Maxwell, as well as, allegedly, Andrew and other influential men. On October 17, Buckingham Palace announced that Andrew would stop using his titles and honours, including the Duke of York. On October 30, he was stripped of being a Prince and kicked out of his Royal Lodge home by his older brother, King Charles. (Picture: PA)

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