The royal family has ended the era of unquestioned deference writes Shelagh Fogarty

After years of hesitation, King Charles has torn off the plaster and done what had to be done: stripped his brother of his royal titles.

Prince Andrew is no longer a prince. It’s taken far too long, but the moment has come. And make no mistake, this is a crossroads moment for the monarchy.

Andrew’s closeness to Jeffrey Epstein, his failure to answer questions, and his lies to Emily Maitlis have all eroded public trust. Even as he continues to deny all allegations, the damage was done long before yesterday.

Virginia Giuffre’s posthumous book lays bare the exploitation and trafficking of young women, some so powerless they couldn’t even speak English to defend themselves. The human cost is staggering.

That this man, raised with privilege and entitled to extraordinary status, is implicated in any part of it is, quite simply, intolerable.

The King, the Queen, and the Prince and Princess of Wales have drawn a line. Their statement was careful (they acknowledged Andrew’s denials), but it was also firm: he has been unable to provide satisfactory answers about his conduct.

That failure leaves him unable to stand alongside the rest of the family in the public’s eye. The “Prince” title, once his birthright, has been removed.

And this is important: titles only mean anything because we, as a society, agree that they do. “Prince,” “Duke,” “Majesty” are words that set people apart. They mark privilege and status, but the status is contingent on trust. When trust breaks down, the illusion collapses.

For Andrew, the sting is real. Being a prince was more identity than title. Stripped of it, he remains eighth in line to the throne, but the privileges that once defined him are gone.

This moment is a crossroads not just for Andrew, but for the monarchy itself. The royals have faced crises before: Charles and Diana’s marriage, Diana’s death. Each time, the institution faced a choice: adapt or lose legitimacy.

Andrew’s disgrace forces a reckoning with what the monarchy stands for, how it deals with accountability, and how it engages with the public. Each crisis chips away at that invisible contract and the idea that we defer to them simply because they are born into it.

There’s a human side to all this. Princess Eugenie has dedicated herself to fighting modern slavery and trafficking, and the contrast with her father’s failures must hit hard. For survivors of abuse, justice is rarely complete. The King’s decision cannot undo the harm, but it is a small step toward accountability.

This is a pivotal moment. It may not be the end of the royals, but it feels like the end of unquestioned deference.

The monarchy survives only as long as we recognise it, and that recognition depends on trust and transparency. The path forward will demand both - and perhaps a reinvention of what it means to be royal in the 21st century.

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Listen to LBC's Shelagh Fogarty from 1-4pm Monday to Friday on the new LBC app.

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