Palace sources have confirmed a subtle but significant change to Prince Andrew’s name after he was officially stripped of his royal titles. The third son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip recently relinquished his dukedom following discussions with King Charles III and other members of the royal family.
Prince Andrew and his former wife, Sarah Ferguson, have been embroiled in scandal due to their association with the disgraced sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, which has cast a long shadow over the royal family.
On October 30, it was announced that Andrew would now be known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. This slight modification reinstates the hyphen in his surname—a detail that underscores his removal from the traditional royal styles.
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Last week, King Charles authorized a Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the Realm, formally revoking Andrew’s entitlement to the title of “Prince” and the style of “Royal Highness.” The Crown Office published the legal document in The Gazette, the UK’s official public record. The declaration stated: “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’.”
The hyphen in the surname Mountbatten-Windsor may seem minor, but it reflects a longstanding royal tradition established by Queen Elizabeth II herself. According to a Privy Council Declaration from February 8, 1960, descendants who do not hold royal titles would bear the double-barreled name Mountbatten-Windsor. The Queen introduced the hyphenated surname to honor her late husband, Prince Philip, who was insistent that his lineage be acknowledged alongside the Windsor name.
Originally, royal children were not expected to carry the Mountbatten name. However, shortly before Prince Andrew’s birth, the Queen formalized the hyphenated surname to maintain the balance of royal heritage.
This update to Prince Andrew’s name symbolizes his altered status within the monarchy and the continued evolution of royal traditions in response to contemporary circumstances.