The fall of the House of York

How Andrew destroyed all he had... and almost took the Firm with him

- BY JENNIFER NEWTON Deputy Royal Editor

FORCED out of Royal Lodge and their reputations in tatters, for Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson a toxic friendship with Jeffrey Epstein sealed their fate.

The shamed pair seem to have been attracted to the wealth, connections and influence of the financier, who used those same attributes to sexually exploit underage girls.

But the seeds of their downfall were sown over many years, with the couple, who divorced in 1996 but remain close, periodically the subject of negative headlines that tarnished the reputation of the Royal Family. Andrew's low standing with his relatives was laid bare during the funeral of the Duchess of Kent in September, when he tried to engage Prince William in conversation.

Standing side by side on the steps of Westminster Cathedral, Wills publicly snubbed him, staring straight ahead in stony silence.

Now, the King has begun the formal process to strip the titles from Prince Andrew who will move out of his £30million, 30-bedroom Windsor mansion to Sandringham.

As a young man, Andrew was one of the world's most eligible bachelors. He had earned high regard for his bravery during the Falklands War, and was later nicknamed "Randy Andy" after being linked to a string of beauties.

He married bubbly, flame-haired Fergie, who herself has generated some of the most humiliating royal scandals of modern times.