Lifelong monarchist says Britain's king had a duty to punish Andrew

By Catarina Demony

LONDON (Reuters) -For lifelong monarchist Anita Atkinson, who owns one of the world's largest collections of British royal memorabilia, King Charles's decision to strip his younger brother Andrew of all his titles was nothing more than a monarch's duty.

"When you are born into the royal family, duty must come first," the 68-year-old said.

Charles's mother, the late Queen Elizabeth, had always protected the institution "at all costs", and her oldest son's actions showed he was following in her footsteps, Atkinson added.

Andrew, 65, has come under mounting pressure in recent years over his behaviour and his ties to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The king stripped his brother of the title prince on Thursday and forced him to surrender the lease of his Royal Lodge mansion on the Windsor Estate, west of London. Andrew, who has denied wrongdoing, will move to accommodation on the Sandringham estate in eastern England.

Atkinson, who lives on a farm near the northeastern English city of Durham, developed a fascination with royal history at a young age.

She said she had been "shocked and surprised" by the king's move, but added: "I don't disagree with it."

"This is absolutely monumental in the history of the monarchy," she told Reuters in a video call, seated in front of the cabinet where her mother once kept her own collection of royal-themed mugs.

Atkinson has now amassed more than 16,000 pieces of royal memorabilia, some dating back to the 17th century, and runs a museum on her farm to showcase the collection.

Andrew's continued association with Epstein had been "unforgivable", but she had no time for the arguments of campaigners who say the case provides yet another reason for abolishing the monarchy.

"I am a monarchist, and I will remain a fervent monarchist," she said, "because there is no better form of government."

(Reporting by Catarina Demony; Editing by Kate Holton and Andrew Heavens)