ROYAL FAMILY NEWS'Status Is Everything to Him': 'Pampered' Ex-Prince Andrew Lost His 'Identity' After He Was Stripped of Royal Titles
Ex-Prince Andrew lost his 'identity’ after he was stripped of royal titles by King Charles last year.
March 3 2026, Published 12:23 p.m. ET
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor — who was once known as Prince Andrew, the second and favorite son of Queen Elizabeth II — is feeling lost after his scandals unraveled in recent years.
After his ties to Jeffrey Epstein were revealed, he lost the right to his royal titles and his birthright — entities that have allowed him to grow up protected.
Ex-Prince Andrew Had Been in a 'Bubble' for Most of His Life
The ex-Duke of York was known as the Queen's favorite son.
Royal author Andrew Lownie told People in a profile published on March 3 that the ex-Duke of York, 66, "has been pampered all the way through his life" as he has stayed "in this bubble."
“Status is everything to him — it’s his only sense of identity," he said.
The Ex-Duke of York Was Fully Stripped of His Royal Titles Last Year
Ex-Prince Andrew leaned heavily into his royal status.
King Charles took away both his younger brother's titles and his longtime home, Royal Lodge, last year, effectively removing any remaining source of real identity Andrew had.
In early 2022, the Queen decided to strip her son's military honors and barred him from taking part in any public royal engagements as a result of his indiscretions.
Andrew's reputation began to truly suffer following his disastrous 2019 BBC interview with Emily Maitlis, where he denied knowing Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre.
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King Charles took away both his younger brother's titles and longtime home, Royal Lodge, in October 2025.
Andrew and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, were also seen many times in the Epstein files, which featured their frequent emails to the disgraced financier. This further tarnished the Yorks' standing within The Firm and their public image.
On February 19, the Windsor police arrested him on suspicion of giving Epstein's secret travel documents. He was released after 11 hours in custody.
According to Lownie, Andrew leaned heavily on his status as a royal as he was “a prince first, a naval officer second and a husband third.”
The ex-prince believed "he was anointed" and "that it’s deeply unfair people have turned on him.”
Queen Elizabeth Backed Her Favorite Son Until the Very End
Ex-Prince Andrew was born in 1960, eight years after Queen Elizabeth became monarch.
As for the late Queen — who died in September 2022 — "she saw no gap between the monarchy and shielding her son,” royal author Catherine Mayer also told People. “One thing was her duty as monarch, and one was her duty as a mother — and she felt that those things were fully aligned.”
Andrew was born in 1960, eight years after the monarch took the throne. At that time, she settled into her reign, making her a more present mother for him.
The Queen even reportedly contributed to Andrew's 2022 settlement with Giuffre, which is said to be valued at around $15 million. Giuffre sued the former royal for sexual assault, but the case never went to trial as the parties reached an out-of-court agreement.
