Rachael Maskell, the independent MP for York Central, says the monarchy needs to become more "accountable" after the King's decision to strip Andrew of his prince title.

She tells the BBC's Today programme: "I think the world's moved on, and we need the monarchy to be accountable by all means, not least to the public.

"When we saw 80% of the public saying remove those titles, I'm sure there is relief across the country now that that has been done."

Maskell - who introduced a Bill in the Commons to make it easier for the King to remove peerages - says there's still a need to change the law.

"My Bill would have enabled people with all forms of peerages, baronets and dukes and princes and princesses, to have those titles removed - a mechanism which could be carried forward, not for just one circumstance, but all circumstances."

The removal of Andrew's prince title is "a very serious step" but the "right decision", says MP and Conservative Party Chair Kevin Hollinrake.

Speaking on BBC Breakfast, he describes Andrew's friendship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein as "totally inappropriate".

He also points to the "constant changing of [Andrew's] story in terms of the nature of that relationship".

"Any criminal charges of course are a matter for the police," he adds, saying that they should be left to do their job.

Andrew has always denied claims he had sex with Virginia Giuffre.

Image source, The Sun/News Licensing

The family of the Virginia Giuffre - who accused Andrew of sexual abuse - called last night's news a "victory" that is "unprecedented in history".

"This normal girl from a normal family has taken down a prince. We are so proud of her," Sky Roberts, Giuffre's brother, told BBC Newsnight through tears.

But Roberts said the King's decisions are not enough.

"We have to have some sort of investigation that goes further into this.

"I mean, he's [Andrew] still walking around a free man. I commend the King, I think he's doing an amazing job as a world leader, setting a precedent, but we need to take it one more step further.

"He [Andrew] needs to be behind bars, period."

As a reminder, Andrew has always denied wrongdoing - and last night's statement from the Palace repeated that Andrew "continues to deny the allegations against him".

Image source, EPA

All eyes are on the white gates of Royal Lodge this morning, after Prince Andrew was stripped of his "prince" title and told to leave the Windsor mansion.

Andrew Mountbatten Windsor - as he is now known - will move to the royal estate in Sandringham, Norfolk.

The Buckingham Palace statement, released at 7pm on Thursday, was dramatic. The process to remove the titles was "initiated" by the King, it said. The decisions were "censures" that were "deemed necessary".

The statement repeated that Andrew "continues to deny the allegations against him". But it concluded with: "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."

Virginia Giuffre - who took her own life earlier this year - alleged that she had sex on three separate occasions with Andrew while she was a teenager.

Last night, her family called her "an ordinary American girl... who brought down a British prince".

Her brother later told the BBC there should be further investigations into Andrew's past - we'll have more on that in our next post.

A complete stripping of royal privileges is deeply humiliating for Andrewpublished at 23:45 GMT 30 October

23:45 GMT 30 October

Helena Wilkinson
Reporting from Windsor

The dramatic news this evening is in sharp contrast to the stillness where we are tonight.

Beyond the gate behind me around half a mile in the distance in the idyllic grounds of Windsor great park is Royal Lodge.

The sprawling 30 room mansion where Andrew - no longer a prince - has lived for more than 20 years.

His living arrangements have been under intense scrutiny in recent weeks.

Andrew will now be moving out. Negotiations to get him to do so won't have been easy.

He'll be moving to Sandringham estate in Norfolk, privately owned by the King. We understand that will happen as soon as is possible.

Andrew has denied, and continues to deny all of the allegations made against him, but for a prince who enjoyed the trappings of royal life, this will all likely feel deeply humiliating for him.

It is a complete stripping of the royal connections and privileges he had left.

We've been speaking to people in a pub nearby which we're told Andrew opened.

"A long time coming," one says.

"He deserves it. I can’t even look at him.”

We're going to pause our live coverage shortly, but we'll be back first thing in the morning with the latest developments.

• Andrew stripped of 'prince' title and will move out of Royal Lodge
• What we know about Andrew losing titles and Windsor mansion
• Read the King's statement on Andrew in full

Buckingham Palace earlier announced Andrew would, with immediate effect, be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor after losing his titles.

The surname Mountbatten Windsor was created in 1960, and combines the surnames of the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip when they married.

In 1917, fearful of anti-German sentiment in the UK during World War One, George V adopted the name Windsor to replace the original Germanic Saxe-Coburg and Gotha dynasty.

He renamed the lineage Windsor, after the castle.

Mountbatten is an anglicised version of Battenberg. Prince Phillip's mother was Princess Alice of Battenberg, but the family opted to change it to Mountbatten during World War One.

The double-barrelled name was a concession to the prince, who was said to have complained that his children would not bear his name.

Continuing to speak to BBC Newsnight, Amanda says King Charles is "setting a precedent for the rest of the world leaders out there to actually come forward and say even if it is my brother I'm going to hold him to account because I believe survivors".

But she adds that it's not enough. "We have to have some sort of investigation that goes further into this, he's still walking around a free man. I commend the King... but we need to take it one step further, he needs to be behind bars."

Amanda says before she went to bed last night she looked at a photo of Virginia and said: "We need a win, everything that you've done tells us that we're doing the right thing".

Virginia would be so proud, she adds, saying that she would look at her children and say "yeah, I took down the bad guys".

"She was extraordinary, she did the extraordinary."

Andrew has denied, and continues to deny, all allegations made against him.

Pratiksha Ghildial
BBC News

The King and Queen in their statement have said that their thoughts and sympathies remain with the ''victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse''.

I just spoke on the phone with Annie Farmer, one of Jeffrey Epstein's earliest accusers who testified in the trial that resulted in the conviction of his long-time aide Ghislaine Maxwell.

Farmer has also been a strong supporter of Andrew's accuser, Virginia Giuffre, who took her own life earlier this year. She wrote in her memoir that she had sex with him on three separate occasions.

Andrew has consistently denied allegations against him.

She said she was feeling quite emotional at the news of Andrew having to give up his title and move out of the Royal Lodge.

''Virginia did what most thought impossible. She showed the world that even the most powerful predators can be held accountable.''

We're now hearing from Virginia Giuffre's brother Sky and sister-in-law Amanda on BBC's Newsnight.

Reacting to tonight's announcement that Andrew is being stripped of his "prince" title, Sky tells the BBC: "It's a bittersweet moment, we feel like its a very vindicating moment for our sister but its also very surreal."

Amanda goes on to say she "broke down" when she heard the news. She adds that Virginia "didn't get a chance to see this in her lifetime, but everything she fought for wasn't in vain. It truly is a moment for her and all survivors".

You can watch Newsnight on BBC Two or BBC iPlayer.

Image source, The Sun/News Licensing

Prince Andrew played host to convicted sex offenders Jeffrey Epstein, Harvey Weinstein and Ghislaine Maxwell at his Windsor property - two months after a US arrest warrant had been issued for Epstein for the sexual assault of a minor in 2006.

The BBC has matched the trees and patio wall in a previously published image of the trio to other pictures of Royal Lodge.

They're understood to have visited the residence ahead of Princess Beatrice's masked ball 18th birthday celebrations.

A witness told the BBC they remembered seeing Weinstein and Epstein at a drinks event in the back garden of Royal Lodge - before guests headed to Windsor Castle for the main party.

Asked by BBC Newsnight in 2019 why he invited Epstein to his daughter's birthday after the US arrest warrant was issued, Andrew said: "Certainly I wasn't aware when the invitation was issued what was going on in the United States and I wasn't aware until the media picked up on it because he never said anything about it." Epstein was arrested in Florida eight days after the event.

Question Time was earlier interrupted by the release of Buckingham Palace's announcement that Andrew would lose his "prince" title and will be leaving the Royal Lodge.

As Fiona Bruce shared the news there was applause from the audience.

Reacting to the news, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy says it sends a "very powerful message to the victims of grooming and sex offences".

"This is a huge development and a big step for the King to take. I have to say, just, you know, as an initial response, I really support the step that he’s taken."

Image source, Getty Images

Will Andrew get money from the King?

• It is understood Andrew's accommodation will be privately funded by King Charles
• The King will also make "appropriate private provision" for his brother

• Since stepping back from public life, Andrew has also cultivated other sources of funding - including business connections with China and the Gulf States

How will his titles be removed?

• The King's decision to strip Andrew of his titles is being implemented with immediate effect
• Royal warrants are sent to the Lord Chancellor - who is David Lammy - to officially remove them
• The titles being stripped are: Prince, Duke of York, Earl of Inverness, Baron Killyleagh. The honours of Order of the Garter and Knight Grand Cross of the Victorian Order will also be removed - and he will no longer have the right to be called His Royal Highness

What happens next?

• Historians tell the BBC that Andrew will continue to be frozen out of royal public life - already he is not invited to attend public royal events
• Campaigners against the monarchy - like Graham Smith, chief executive of Republic - say there should be a wider investigation into what the Royal Family might have known about his links to Epstein

For more on what we know, you can read our full explainer.

Image source, Getty Images

This is a "tipping point" says Sigrid McCawley, a lawyer who represented Virginia Giuffre during her civil sexual assault case against Andrew.

"Her bravery, determination and resilient spirit has led to the defining moment."

This moment "should be a lesson for all to listen, hear and believe survivors of abuse" she says.

Virginia Giuffre - who took her own life earlier this year - alleged she had sex with Andrew three times as a teenager, which Andrew has repeatedly denied.

In 2003, Prince Andrew signed a lease on the Royal Lodge – a 30-room, Grade II listed mansion in Windsor Great Park, close to Windsor Castle.

He will now be leaving the Royal Lodge and moving to a private property in the Sandringham Estate.

The Royal Lodge has almost 100 acres of secluded grounds, including the royal chapel where Princess Beatrice’s wedding took place. The landlord, the Crown Estate, operates as an independent company.

Andrew made several up-front payments when he signed the 75-year lease, totalling about £8 million.

That means he’s been paying a "peppercorn" rent ever since. That’s a small, symbolic sum, which in this case seems to be nothing at all.

Image source, Crown Estate/PA

His lease with the Crown Estate had meant he would be able to stay there until 2078, beyond his expected lifetime - in light Buckingham Palace's announcement, this is no longer the case.

The contract also states that his two daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, are able to take over the residency - it is not yet known if this still stands.

Image source, Getty Images

Royal Historian Sarah Gristwood tells the BBC this is the moment the Royal Family "hoped would never come".

Speaking to Rebecca Kesby on BBC World Service's Newshour programme, she says "the fact they have moved so decisively shows just how seriously they take the story and the damage it could do to the monarchy as a whole”.

“It's only now that it's become apparent that Andrew has to be a pariah, that he can never have a place in Royal circles again,” Gristwood says.

Dominic Casciani
Home and Legal Correspondent

The stripping of a princely title is so rare in British royal-legal history that the last person to suffer such a public fall from grace was Ernest Augustus, the Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale, Earl of Armagh.

He ceased to be a Prince in the wake of the slaughter of World War One.

His crime had been to back the Germans, choosing that side of his family, despite being a direct descendent of King George III.

Parliament had to vote through the unprecedented “Titles Deprivation Act 1917” which allowed King George V’s advisers to draw up a hit list of Germany-supporting aristocrats.

And then on 29 March 1919 Augustus was publicly named-and-shamed in the London Gazette, the official journal of the King’s business, as having been among those who had “during the present war borne arms against Your Majesty or Your Allies or who have adhered to Your Majesty's enemies”.

Image source, Getty Images

Prince Andrew being stripped of his "prince" title caps off weeks of intense scrutiny.

His links to Jeffrey Epstein have come under the spotlight and pressure has been mounting on the Royal Family.

Today, Buckingham Palace announced he will also be leaving his Windsor home, Royal Lodge.

If you're just joining us - here is the latest:

• After losing his title, Prince Andrew will be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, Buckingham Palace says.
• He will be moved into private accommodation in Sandringham Estate "as soon as is practicable", which will be funded by the King

• The palace has expressed their support for victims of "any and all forms of abuse"
• The family of Virginia Giuffre, who alleged she had sex with Andrew three times as a teenager, say she "brought down a British prince with her truth and extraordinary courage". Andrew continues to deny the accusations against him. Giuffre took her own life earlier this year
• Andrew's two adult daughters, Eugenie and Beatrice, will retain their titles as princesses, but Andrew's ex-wife Sarah Ferguson will have to make her own living arrangements
• Andrew remains eighth in line to the throne

Image source, PA Media

In our previous post, we brought you some initial comments from Kemi Badenoch.

We've now taken a look at reaction from across the political spectrum to the news that Prince Andrew is being stripped of his "prince" title.

• Leader of the Opposition Kemi Badenoch tells LBC that stripping Andrew of the Prince title "must have been a very difficult thing" for the King to do - adding that "the whole Jeffrey Epstein saga....has just shown that the public has no truck whatsoever with any kind of sexual abuse" which is "quite right"
• Ed Davey, Leader of the Liberal Democrats says "the King is absolutely right to strip Prince Andrew of both his titles and his resident at the Royal Lodge... this is an important step towards rebuilding trust in our institutions"
• SNP Leader in Westminster Stephen Flynn calls it "the right decision and an important moment for the victims of Epstein"

As a reminder, it is understood that the government was consulted and it made clear it supports the decision.

Noor Nanji
Culture reporter

Image source, Getty Images

For the royal family, this continues to be both a personal and a public crisis.

Andrew is of course, King Charles’s younger brother.

And no matter how damaging this scandal had become, it cannot have been in any way easy for the King to take such a drastic step – stripping his own brother of his prince title, which he has had since birth.

The leader of the opposition Kemi Badenoch reflected on that, when she was speaking to LBC this evening.

She said it must have been “very difficult” for the King to strip his brother of his titles and Royal Lodge residence, but added that he clearly felt this was “the right decision” for the royal family.

Despite their family links, events have shaped their relationship – and the pressure clearly got to such a point that the King felt he had to act.

Image source, US Department of Justice via Press Association

We can now bring you a statement from Virginia Giuffre's family. Giuffre, who took her own life earlier this year, alleged she had sex with Andrew three times as a teenager - something Andrew has repeatedly denied.

"Today, an ordinary American girl from an ordinary American family, brought down a British prince with her truth and extraordinary courage," say her brother Sky Roberts and sister-in-law Amanda.

"Virginia Roberts Giuffre, our sister, a child when she was sexually assaulted by Andrew, never stopped fighting for accountability for what had happened to her and to countless other survivors like her.

"Today, she declares victory. We, her family, along with her survivor sisters, continue Virginia's battle and will not rest until the same accountability applies to all of the abusers and abettors connected to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell."