The Queen reportedly used the 'same model' to oust Andrew as she did with Harry and Meghan, to protect the royal family from bad PR

• The Queen has stripped Prince Andrew of his military titles and royal patronages.
• The monarch reportedly followed the model she used to remove the Sussexes, a report says.

Queen Elizabeth II used the "same model" to cut royal ties with Prince Andrew as she did with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, the Daily Mail reports.

Buckingham Palace announced on Thursday that Andrew will defend himself against sexual-assault allegations as a private citizen and that his military titles and patronages would be removed.

The prince will also no longer use his HRH title, a royal source told Insider on Thursday.

A "well-placed palace source" who spoke to the Daily Mail anonymously said the decision was taken "to insulate the institution from being hit by all the shrapnel that is flying around."

"It follows the same model as the Sussex separation. The removal of titles and patronages means the institution can now legitimately say it is not involved," the source said. "It was a ruthless and swift decision which will have been recommended by the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge and sanctioned by the Queen."

Other sources told the newspaper that the decision would have "pained" the Queen, especially since Andrew has long been considered her "favorite" child.

The monarch reportedly spoke with the prince in a 90-minute meeting before the palace's announcement, similar to the "Sandringham summit" she had with Prince Harry in January 2020.

During the summit, which took place on January 13, 2020 — exactly two years before Andrew's meeting — titles and security were discussed, according to The Mirror.

Shortly after the summit, Buckingham Palace said in a statement that the couple would give up military appointments and royal patronages, and that they would no longer use their HRH titles.

Representatives for Buckingham Palace, Prince Andrew, and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.