Just days after Prince Andrew’s official titles were removed from the royal family’s website, his previously-defunct Duke of York site reappeared, with one major difference
Prince Andrew’s previously-defunct website has relaunched, just days after his official titles and honours were removed from the official royal family’s site – but with a huge noticeable difference.
Andrew has relinquished his title of Duke of York amid the ongoing controversy surrounding his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as allegations against the prince continue to surface. Andrew has strenuously denied any allegations against him. Following his decision to no longer use his title, the official royal family website has removed any trace of the title – instead referring to him as simply ‘Prince Andrew’, but the action has seemingly inadvertently relaunched a defunct website in another language.
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When Prince Andrew stepped down as working royal in 2019 after years of scandals and controversies, his website http://TheDukeofYork.org was redirected to the official page of the royal family.
However, the unused site appears to be up and running again, although it is no longer in English, but in Vietnamese. Some eagle-eyed fans on social media speculated that the blunder may have been due to the deletion of Andrew’s titles, with the editing of the page breaking the redirect link.
While Andrew relinquished use of his royal titles and honours, that were awarded to him by his late mother Queen Elizabeth, only an Act of Parliament can officially remove the title of Duke of York.
The peculiar resurfacing of the website comes as Prince Andrew is reportedly in discussions with the King’s aides about leaving his 30-room Royal Lodge home voluntarily following the furore over the “peppercorn” rent he currently pays on the Windsor property.
Andrew is said to be reluctant to give up his residence of more than 20 years, with the sticking points believed to be the location of his new home and financial compensation for money spent on renovating the lodge.
In their exit talks with the Palace, Andrew is said to have asked for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s former Windsor home, Frogmore Cottage. Meanwhile, his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, who Andrew currently lives with in the mansion, is hoping to move into nearby Adelaide Cottage once William and Kate relocate to Forest Lodge next month.
MPs are meanwhile poised to debate Prince Andrew’s conduct , his 30-room mansion and the possibility of stripping him of his dukedom. The Government has not yet allocated time in the House of Commons for MPs to discuss Andrew’s situation – but the issue could soon be raised on one of the days when ministers are not in control of the parliamentary timetable.
Andrew announced in a bombshell statement that he would be handing back his royal titles and honours as the accusations against him – which he strenuously denies – continue to “distract” from the work of the royal family.