The photo that proved the final straw for King Charles over Prince Andrew saga

It is the photo that proved the final straw for King Charles.

Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell and Harvey Weinstein happily pose together in the grounds of Prince Andrew's home for the past 20 years, Royal Lodge, in Windsor Great Park.

Earlier this week, the BBC was able to match trees and a portion of patio wall in the image with other pictures of the property to place the three convicted sex offenders at Andrew's home, which is located on the Crown Estate, during a party for his daughter Princess Beatrice.

The photo had been published before, but the connection with Royal Lodge was new.

It had long been known Prince Andrew had invited the trio to his daughter Princess Beatrice's 18th birthday party, which took place at Windsor Castle in 2006.

What wasn't known until this week was that they were also invited to a much more cosy pre-party drinks affair at Andrew's private home.

While outwardly, there was no sign the new information had made a difference, it now appears it was the last straw for King Charles in light of Buckingham Palace's announcement today.

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"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.

"His lease on Royal Lodge has, to date, provided him with legal protection to continue in residence.

"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 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."

Andrew's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell have been known for some time but has come under renewed scrutiny due to the release of the posthumous memoir Nobody's Girl.

In it, Virginia Giuffre alleged she was forced to have sex with Andrew on three separate occasions, including once with Epstein and "eight other young girls". 

Andrew reached a financial settlement with Ms Giuffre in 2022, despite repeatedly denying any wrongdoing.

In 2019, he told the BBC Newsnight program he did not remember meeting Ms Giuffre "at all" and that they "never had any sort of sexual contact".

Asked in the same interview why he invited Epstein to his daughter's 18th birthday party, which occurred two months after an arrest warrant was issued for Epstein in the US over the sexual assault of a minor, 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".

What is now clear is that Epstein, his girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell, who in 2021, was found guilty of child sex trafficking and other offences, and Harvey Weinstein, who was jailed after being found guilty of a criminal sexual act, were part of an inner cycle of friends given a sought-after invite to Andrew's home.

Epstein was arrested by police in Florida eight days after the event. Two years later he pleaded guilty to state charges of soliciting prostitution and soliciting prostitution from someone under 18 in order to avoid federal charges.

He was sentenced to 18 months in jail but was allowed to work and was released on probation after 13 months.

He was arrested again on sex trafficking charges in July 2019 and was found dead in his New York cell a month later, with his death ruled a suicide.

Andrew announced in November 2019 he would step back from public duties and he gave up his military affiliations and royal patronages in January 2022.

Then two weeks ago, it was announced he would no longer use his titles, including Duke of York, or honours.

But still his friendship with Epstein continued to haunt him, with the publication of photos of Epstein and Maxwell at various royal residences in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Andrew had been facing increased scrutiny over his living arrangements in light of his relationship with Epstein and had reportedly refused to move out of Royal Lodge, citing an iron clad lease that still had 50 years to run.

Now it seems, King Charles and the rest of the royal family had finally had enough.

An image of the pair at Balmoral, the royals' private Scottish estate, was released by prosecutors during Maxwell's sex trafficking trial.

The prince also hosted a 2000 birthday party for Maxwell at Sandringham, the monarch's private country retreat in Norfolk, which Epstein attended.

A photo of Maxwell and actor Kevin Spacey sitting in the thrones at Buckingham Palace in 2002 also came to light.

Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence in the US.

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