Last week, news broke that not only did the former Prince Andrew lose his royal titles, but he will also have to give up his lease at the Royal Lodge. It all goes back to his association with Jeffrey Epstein, and despite president Donald Trump‘s own ties to convicted sex offender, he’s now speaking out about the royal family’s response to the scandal.
Trump’s comments came on Sunday, while he was speaking with reporters on Air Force One. As People reported, he was asked how he felt about Andrew no longer being known as a prince — instead, he’s now known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor.
“I feel very badly,” Trump said. “It’s a terrible thing that’s happened to the family. That’s been a tragic situation, and it’s too bad. I mean, I feel badly for the family.”
In the past, not only has Trump famously had his own long-running friendship with Epstein, but he has also been photographed with Andrew on multiple occasions.
Andrew’s ties to Epstein were first publicly exposed in 2019, when he stepped back from his duties as a working royal following a bombshell interview with the BBC where he confirmed that he was friends with Epstein but not as “close” as some might have believed.
“It would be, to some extent, a stretch to say that as it were we were close friends,” Andrew said at the time. “I mean, we were friends because of other people. And I had a lot of opportunity to go to the United States, but I didn’t have much time with him.”
Buckingham Palace released a statement announcing that Andrew had formally been stripped of all titles on October 30, revealing that King Charles had finally pulled the trigger on a decision that many had expected him to make for a long time.
“His Majesty has today initiated a formal process to remove the Style, Titles and Honours of Prince Andrew,” the statement said. “Prince Andrew will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor.”
He and ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, will also have to leave their home at Royal Lodge.
“His lease on Royal Lodge has, to date, provided him with legal protection to continue in residence,” the statement continued. “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. 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.”
