Prince Andrew has agreed to give up his royal titles to save the royal family from further embarrassment over his connections with convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Though he took a “step back” from his role as a senior royal in November 2019, he has continued to use the “Duke of York” title that was conferred by Queen Elizabeth II on his wedding day in 1986.
The prince shared the news in a statement issued through Buckingham Palace on Friday, adding that he consulted King Charles III in the course of making his decision. “I stand by my decision five years ago to stand back from public life,” it read. “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.”
Though his accuser, Virginia Giuffre, died by suicide earlier this year, her allegations have resurfaced in a memoir that is due to be published on October 21. In his statement, Andrew continued to deny all claims of impropriety. “As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me,” the statement 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.”
It is understood that the prince agreed to give up his remaining royal titles amid mounting pressure over his links with Epstein and an alleged Chinese spy. The king, who has been at a loss over how to deal with what is known as the “Andrew problem” at the palace, is said to be “glad” about the outcome.
Along with other members of the royal family, Prince William, who has privately been concerned about the optics of Prince Andrew retaining his titles and being seen as close to the royal family, was consulted.
Sources say the decision for Andrew to give up his titles was taken in close deliberation with the king and in recognition of the fact that the prince’s personal issues continue to distract from the work of the wider royal family. It is understood that the king appealed to Prince Andrew, who still lives at Royal Lodge on the Windsor Estate, to do the right thing and give up his titles in order to preserve the reputation of the monarchy.
Sarah Ferguson will also give up her title as Duchess of York, according to a source with knowledge. She will continue to be known as Sarah Ferguson, as she has been for matters of business since her divorce from Andrew in 1996. Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie are blood princesses and will retain the use of their titles. Palace aides have said that the king is fond of his nieces, who will be wholly unaffected by the changes to Sarah and Andrew’s titles.
Andrew was stripped of his royal patronages and military titles in January 2022, though he continued to appear at public events with the royal family and participate in certain ceremonies. Having been born the son of Queen Elizabeth II, he will remain a prince, but, along with the Duke of York title, he will also give up his membership in the Order of the Garter. Buckingham Palace has said the change to his titles will come into effect immediately, and Andrew will not join the royal family for the traditional Christmas church service and celebrations.
Andrew’s connections to Epstein became a matter of public controversy when the pair were photographed walking in Central Park in 2010. But the royal only stepped back from his public role in 2019, after he gave an interview to BBC’s Newsnight in which he denied the allegations but failed to show empathy for Epstein’s victims. In August 2021, Giuffre filed a civil sexual assault lawsuit against him in the US, and it was settled in February 2022. The prince denied allegations that he had sexual relations with Giuffre when she was 17.
In recent days, the pressure has mounted for the palace to take decisive action over Andrew, who will continue to live at Royal Lodge, where he has a private tenancy agreement with the Crown Estate. A recent You Gov poll showed that 67% of the British public want Andrew to be fully stripped of his royal titles, which would require the British government’s involvement.
In the infamous Newsnight interview, Andrew claimed that he had cut off all contact with Epstein in 2010, but new reports suggest that he continued to correspond with the convicted pedophile. This weekend, multiple outlets published excerpts from an email the prince wrote to Epstein in 2011, after a photograph appeared of him with his arm around Giuffre in a British newspaper.
One email, which was revealed as a part of a legal case earlier this year, showed Andrew taking a casual tone. “It would seem we are in this together and will have to rise above it,” it read, per UK’s The Times. “Otherwise keep in close touch, and we’ll play some more soon.”
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