And just like that, Prince Andrew is no longer Duke.
Queen Elizabeth II’s second son has been at odds with the rest of the British royal family since the late Virginia Giuffre, one of the most prominent accusers of pedophile sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, who first claimed in the 2010s that she was forced to have sex with the prince when she was a minor.
The king appeared to take matters into his own hands on Friday. After years of Andrew being relegated to the fringes of royal life, King Charles III has officially removed his 65-year-old brother from royal duties. In a concise statement, Prince Andrew acknowledged that his infamous reputation had become a distraction to the rest of the monarchy.
“In discussions with the King and my immediate and extended family, we concluded that the continued accusations about me were distracting from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family,” the prince wrote in a statement. statement released by Buckingham Palace. “As I have previously stated, I vigorously deny the allegations against me.”
“With Her Majesty’s agreement, we believe that I must now go further. I will therefore no longer use my title or the honors that have been conferred on me,” Prince Andrew continued. “As I have previously stated, I vigorously deny the allegations against me.”
Prince Andrew, as the late Queen’s son, will retain his title “Prince”, but he has given up several other titles since speaking with the King, including his status as Duke of York and Order of the Garter, two titles which brought him enormous pride.
He severed his military affiliations, ended his royal patronages and stopped using the title “His Royal Highness” in 2022 during a civil case brought by Giuffre. The prince settled that lawsuit without admitting any wrongdoing.
Officially canceling the prince’s titles will take a little longer, however, as the act requires an official act of Parliament.
The family’s decision to cut ties with Prince Andrew came several days after the publication of Giuffre’s posthumous memoir. Nobody’s Daughterin which she details at least three incidents in which the prince allegedly raped her.
But Giuffre’s disturbing accusations were far from the only bad press plaguing the prince. Public interest in personal finance and the ruling were also a sore point for the family, as was Andrew’s decision to cozy up to an accused Chinese spy.
Oddly enough, Andrew’s misdeeds were not serious enough to remove him from the monarchy’s succession plan: he will always remain eighth in line to the throne. He will also remain at his Windsor home, Royal Lodge, where he has a private lease expiring in 2078.
However, he will not be present at the royal family’s Christmas festivities this year at Sandringham.
Prince William, who has had a frosty relationship with Prince Andrew, consulted his father over the decision to strip his uncle of his titles.
“It is unlikely that this will bring them any closer together,” reported the BBC.
Prince Andrew’s children, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, would retain their titles, according to the British channel. His ex-wife will no longer be known as the Duchess of York but will simply be Sarah Ferguson.
