Prince Andrew has given up all of his royal titles, including the Duke of York, because of the ‘continued accusations’ about him – a move one palace insider said came as a ‘relief’
Prince Andrew gives up all of his titles
A palace insider has spoken of the “relief” over Prince Andrew agreeing to give up his remaining titles.
The move follows months of private discussions within Buckingham Palace about how to handle what has been described by sources as “the Andrew problem”. Andrew, 65, said in a statement on Friday that the “continued accusations” about him have distracted from the work of the King and the Royal Family – and that he has agreed to give up all of his royal titles, including the Duke of York.
His downfall began with his long-standing ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein’s accusers, alleged she was trafficked by him to have sex with Andrew when she was 17 – claims Andrew strenuously denies.
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Giuffre said the encounters occurred in London, New York, and on Epstein’s private island. Andrew said he had no memory of meeting her, questioning the authenticity of a photograph showing the pair together.
In 2021, Giuffre filed a civil lawsuit in New York under the Child Victims Act. The case was settled out of court the following year for a reported £12m. The settlement did not include any admission of wrongdoing.
The fallout from the scandal saw him initially stripped of his royal patronages and military titles, and forced to withdraw from public duties indefinitely.
More recently, questions have resurfaced over Andrew reportedly meeting with Cai Qi – a senior Beijing official at the heart of the China spy scandal.
One palace source said Andrew’s latest decision marks a turning point. “After months of radio silence, this finally feels like the end of it. We’re all able to breathe a sigh of relief,” the source told the Express.
Andrew released today which read: “In discussion with The King, and my immediate and wider family, we have concluded the continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family.
“I have decided, as I always have, to put my duty to my family and country first. I stand by my decision five years ago to stand back from public life.
“With His Majesty’s agreement, we feel I must now go a step further. I will therefore no longer use my title or the honours which have been conferred upon me. As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me.”