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King Charles has officially begun the process of removing all titles and honours from his brother, Prince Andrew, Buckingham Palace has announced.

Andrew will from today be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor.

“His Majesty has today initiated a formal process to remove the Style, Titles and Honours of Prince Andrew,” the statement from Buckingham Palace 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. 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.

The statement relates this news to the allegations of sexual abuse by the late Virginia Giuffre.

Andrew and Virginia Giuffre, with Ghislaine Maxwell in the background. Photo / PA Media

“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.

“Andrew will also have to move out of the Windsor mansion, the Royal Lodge.”

The announcement was made this morning (NZT).

At this stage, Andrew will reportedly move to a property on the private Sandringham estate in Norfolk, funded by the King.

Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice have always been very close to their disgraced father Prince Andrew. Photo / Zak Hussein, Corbis via Getty Images

The BBC reports that Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice will retain their titles, as they are the daughters of the son of a Sovereign.

This decision regarding Andrew’s daughters is said to be in line with King George V’s Letters Patent of 1917.

The announcement comes just weeks after Andrew gave up his other royal titles, including the title of Duke of York and also days after the release of Giuffre’s posthumous memoir Nobody’s Girl.

He was forced to give up his remaining royal titles including the title of Duke of York earlier this month after it emerged he had stayed in touch with the convicted paedophile longer than he previously admitted.

A few days ago, it was revealed that the Metropolitan Police is “actively looking into” claims that Prince Andrew passed his alleged teenage sex abuse victim’s private information to his protection officer.

According to a leaked email, the now former prince asked his taxpayer-funded police bodyguard to investigate Virginia Giuffre and passed him her date of birth and social security number.

He then told Buckingham Palace aide Ed Perkins, who at the time was Elizabeth II’s deputy press secretary, that he had asked one of his personal protection officers to dig up information about Giuffre.

“We are aware of media reporting and are actively looking into the claims made,” a police spokesperson said.

Andrew could potentially face a criminal investigation in the US for sharing Giuffre’s social security number without her consent.

This is not his only legal worry - he also faces a private prosecution for alleged sexual assault, corruption and misconduct in public office.

The case is being brought by campaign group Republic, which is said to have instructed a law firm to examine evidence and, if justified, initiate legal proceedings.

“I firmly believe there is strong enough evidence to justify a serious investigation. The authorities and politicians appear to want to look the other way, while minimising the accusations made against Andrew. The truth must prevail and justice must be seen to be done,” Republic’s chief executive, Graham Smith, said.

“If not us, then who? It’s a devastating indictment on the UK’s criminal justice system, police and politicians – not to mention the King and heir – that we must resort to a private prosecution. It should be a cause for concern that so many people believe – rightly in my view – that the royals are not treated equally in law. Equality in law is a basic tenet of democracy."

The group’s action follows years of controversy surrounding Andrew’s association with the late US financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The controversy has had a deep impact on the Royal family. Earlier this week, King Charles was heckled as he met crowds during a visit to Lichfield Cathedral in the Midlands. Upon seeing the King, a man shouted: “How long have you known about Andrew and Epstein?”