Decision follows posthumous memoir revelations
Prince Andrew has given up all his remaining royal titles, including Duke of York, following renewed controversy over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein and Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of sexual abuse.
Buckingham Palace confirmed the move in a statement on Friday evening – less than 48 hours after the Guardian began publishing extracts from Giuffre’s posthumous memoir, in which she alleged the prince viewed sex with her as his “birthright.” Giuffre died by suicide in Australia in April.
In his statement, the 65-year-old prince said that after discussions with King Charles and other members of the royal family, they agreed that the continuing allegations were “distracting 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,” he said.
“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.”
Prince Andrew reiterated that he “vigorously denies” all allegations of wrongdoing. A source close to the palace said the king was “glad” about the decision.
End of an era for disgraced royal
The move marks the most dramatic step yet in Andrew’s withdrawal from public life. He had already relinquished the title of “His Royal Highness” in 2022 and gave up royal duties in 2019 after a disastrous BBC Newsnight interview attempting to defend his relationship with Epstein.
He will no longer use or hold the titles Earl of Inverness and Baron of Killyleagh, nor attend royal family events such as the traditional Christmas gathering at Sandringham, where he had continued to appear until recently.
His former wife Sarah Ferguson, who divorced the prince in 1996, stopped using her Duchess of York title several years ago.
Epstein scandal’s enduring shadow
Prince Andrew settled Giuffre’s US civil lawsuit in 2022 without admitting liability but agreed to make a substantial donation to her charity.
Epstein was found dead in his jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex offences, and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell is serving a 20-year sentence for trafficking underage girls.
The fallout continues to ensnare powerful figures. A US congressional panel on Friday released 8,000 documents from Epstein’s estate as part of an inquiry into the federal government’s handling of the case.
The king’s decision to formally strip Andrew of his remaining titles signals a decisive break from one of the monarchy’s most damaging scandals in decades and underscores Charles’s determination to protect the institution’s reputation.
