Prince Andrew stated in a press release on Friday that he’s giving up his royal titles, together with Duke of York, after his hyperlinks to late convicted intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein returned to the headlines.
“In dialogue with The King, and my rapid and wider household, we’ve got concluded the continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Household. I’ve determined, as I at all times have, to place my obligation to my household and nation first. I stand by my choice 5 years in the past to face again from public life,” Andrew stated in a assertion launched by Buckingham Palace.
“With His Majesty’s settlement, we really feel I have to now go a step additional. I’ll due to this fact now not use my title or the honours which have been conferred upon me. As I’ve stated beforehand, I vigorously deny the accusations in opposition to me,” the youthful brother of King Charles III added.
Andrew, 65, will stay a prince however he’ll stop to be the Duke of York, which is a title he acquired from his late mom, Queen Elizabeth II.
It’s additionally been introduced that Andrew’s ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson (“Fergie”), will now not use the title of Duchess of York. The pair’s daughters, Beatrice and Eugenie, nonetheless retain their “princess” titles.
Andrew is not going to be spending Christmas with the Royal Household in Sandringham, the BBC studies. He’s anticipated to remain in his Windsor house, Royal Lodge, and miss the yearly custom that’s been held since 1988.
This comes as excerpts have been printed of an upcoming posthumous memoir from Virginia Giuffre, who has alleged she was trafficked by Epstein and had intercourse with Andrew when she was 17.
Within the memoir, she particulars alleged encounters with Prince Andrew, who she sued in 2021, claiming that they’d intercourse when she was a minor. Andrew regularly denied her claims, and the 2 settled the lawsuit in 2022.
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Within the ebook, Giuffre goes on to explain her encounter with Prince Andrew, whom she stated was “entitled — as if he believed having intercourse with me was his birthright,” including that he paid explicit consideration to her ft.
Recalling their night time collectively, she wrote, “He stated thanks in his clipped British accent. In my reminiscence, the entire thing lasted lower than half an hour.”
Epstein later paid her $15,000 for “servicing the person the tabloids referred to as ‘Randy Andy,’” the memoir says.
The ebook, titled No person’s Lady: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Combating for Justice, might be launched on Oct. 22, and was co-written by creator and journalist Amy Wallace. The memoir was accomplished earlier than Giuffre died by suicide in April.
Giuffre’s household, together with Sky and Amanda Roberts and Danny and Lanette Wilson — Virginia’s brothers and sisters-in-law — spoke out after Andrew’s assertion was launched.
“We, the household of Virginia Roberts Giuffre, imagine that Prince Andrew’s choice to surrender his titles is vindication for our sister and survivors in every single place,” the household stated in a press release to Folks. “This decisive motion is a robust step ahead in our battle to deliver Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s baby sex-trafficking community to justice.”
“Additional, we imagine it’s applicable for King Charles to take away the title of Prince,” the assertion added.
Prince Andrew has maintained a low profile in recent times, following his elimination from royal duties in January 2022. Queen Elizabeth II had beforehand stripped him of his navy titles and royal patronages.
“With The Queen’s approval and settlement, The Duke of York’s navy affiliations and Royal patronages have been returned to The Queen. The Duke of York will proceed to not undertake any public duties and is defending this case as a non-public citizen,” a 2022 press launch from Buckingham Palace learn.
On the time, greater than 150 veterans signed an open letter calling for Queen Elizabeth II to strip Andrew of his navy titles, the marketing campaign group Republic stated.
The letter referred to as on the monarch to take rapid motion as a result of Andrew had been “uncooperative and fewer than truthful” about his ties with Epstein.
“We’re significantly upset and indignant that Prince Andrew stays a member of the armed forces and continues to carry navy titles, positions and ranks, together with that of Vice Admiral of the Royal Navy,” the letter stated.
“We’re due to this fact asking that you just take rapid steps to strip Prince Andrew of all his navy ranks and titles and, if mandatory, that he be dishonourably discharged.”
Andrew held three Colonel-in-chief titles for 3 Canadian regiments – The Princess Louise Fusiliers in Halifax, The Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada in Cambridge and Queen’s York Rangers in Toronto. All of these titles have been stripped, as effectively.
The prince was additionally compelled to step down from public duties in 2019 due to his connections to Epstein.
—with a file from International Information and The Related Press
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