LONDON – Prince Andrew has given up his most prestigious royal and military titles, including the Duke of York, following a “discussion with the King” amid mounting pressure over his connection to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The move marks a stunning fall from grace for the second son of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
In a statement released on Friday, Prince Andrew said the “continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family.” He confirmed he would no longer use the titles and honours conferred upon him but maintained his innocence, adding, “I vigorously deny the accusations against me.”
While he will remain a prince by birthright, he ceases to be the Duke of York and has given up his membership in the Order of the Garter, Britain’s most senior order of chivalry. Consequently, his former wife, Sarah Ferguson, will no longer be known as the Duchess of York.
The decision comes as explosive new details have emerged, contradicting the Prince’s previous public statements. It was recently revealed that Andrew had emailed Epstein just 24 hours after a notorious photograph of him with accuser Virginia Giuffre was published. In the email, he wrote, “It would seem we are in this together and will have to rise above it,” and suggested they “play some more soon!!!!” This directly refutes his claim in a 2019 BBC Newsnight interview that he had severed all contact with Epstein in 2010.
Pressure is expected to intensify with the upcoming publication of a memoir by Virginia Giuffre, who died by suicide earlier this year. Giuffre alleged she was forced to have sex with the prince on three occasions when she was 17. Her brother told BBC Newsnight that the removal of Andrew’s titles was a “joyous moment” for Epstein’s survivors.
The Prince’s reputation has also been damaged by recent revelations that a close business associate is suspected by the British government of being a Chinese spy. For now, the removal of his titles represents an unprecedented step by the monarchy to distance itself from the toxic scandal that has engulfed one of its most senior members.
