Prince Andrew to give up royal title of Duke of York after talks with King Charles
London: Prince Andrew has said he is giving up the royal title of Duke of York and other honors after his friendship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein returned to the headlines.
Prince Andrew said in a statement released by Buckingham Palace on Saturday (AEDT) that King Andrew III would be the first to take the throne. Charles’ younger brother said he and the royal family had decided that “the ongoing allegations against me are a distraction from the work of Her Majesty and the royal family.”
Prince Andrew is giving up royal titles: “I have decided, as always, to put my duty to my family and my country first.”Credit: access point
It follows the release of excerpts from the posthumously published memoirs of Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who claims she was trafficked by Epstein and had sex with Andrew when she was 17.
Andrew, 65, resigned from public life in 2019 but has denied wrongdoing.
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“With His Majesty’s approval, we think I must now go one step further. Therefore, I will no longer use my title or the honors bestowed upon me,” he said in a statement. he said.
“As I said before, I strongly deny the accusations against me.”
Giuffre died by suicide in April. In her memoir, she details her alleged encounter with Prince Andrew, whom she sued in 2021, claiming they had sex when she was 17. Andrew denied her claims and the two settled the case in 2022.
More to come
