Former prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor stripped of remaining titles
ABC News2 days
King Charles Strips Andrew of Order of Garter Honors
Is this necessary accountability, or a failure to deliver proper justice?
Above: Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on Sept. 16, 2025, at Westminster Cathedral. Image credit: Max Mumby/Contributor/Indigo/Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Stripping Andrew of his final royal honors represents necessary accountability for serious lapses in judgment regarding his Epstein connections. The formal erasure of his Order of the Garter and Royal Victorian Order memberships — honors recognizing public service and service to the monarch — sends an unmistakable message that such associations are incompatible with royal privilege, regardless of denials.
Establishment-critical narrative
Renaming Andrew Mountbatten Windsor does nothing to deliver real accountability. The Royal Family let him evade consequences for years, and this scandal highlights systemic failure at the top. Changing titles won’t protect victims or ensure justice — only releasing the full Epstein files and facing hard truths can. If any sense existed, the monarchy itself would be abolished, ending a centuries-old institution that shields the privileged while betraying accountability.
Narrative C
While politically and socially significant, this latest decision should not be interpreted as proof of guilt. Institutions often act preemptively to protect their reputations, especially under public pressure, without a judicial determination of wrongdoing. Until proven otherwise in a court of law, Prince Andrew remains entitled to the presumption of innocence.
Metaculus Prediction
Public Figures
Go Deeper
Establishment split
CRITICAL
PRO
© 2025 Improve the News Foundation. All rights reserved.Version 6.18.0
© 2025 Improve the News Foundation.
All rights reserved.
Version 6.18.0