Prince Andrew revelations in Virginia Giuffre memoir could mean ‘more pain ahead’
Prince Andrew’s decision to renounce his titles and honors shows no sign that scrutiny of his links to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein will stop; royal sources expect “more painful days” in the scandal.
Although the prince will no longer use his titles, including Duke of York, there are calls for them to be formally abolished.
York MP Rachael Maskell wants the government to change the law to allow for this process, saying many of her constituents no longer want the city to be associated with the crown.
Metropolitan Police are investigating claims the prince requested personal protection from a bodyguard Information about Virginia GiuffreShe has consistently denied the allegation, saying she was forced to have sex with the prince.
His memoirs, published posthumously this week, add to the pressure on him.
A royal source said the focus of the Royal Family’s thoughts was on Epstein’s victims and “the entire network of girls and young women who were abused and treated horribly”.
They said they treated the ongoing allegations with “very grave concern” and suggested it should not be seen as a reputation or public relations battle.
Ms. Giuffre’s posthumous memory She repeats allegations that she was pimped out for sex by Epstein to her powerful circle of friends, including Prince Andrew; The prince vehemently denies this claim.
On Friday, the prince announced he would no longer use his titles and honors, including Duke of York, Earl of Inverness and Baron Killyleagh. He also renounced his membership in the prestigious Order of the Garter.
He remained a prince, a title assigned to the son of a ruler by birth. But constitutional expert Craig Prescott says Andrew’s title of “prince” could theoretically be removed by a legal document called a Letters Patent issued by monarchs. If he stopped being a prince and was no longer the Duke of York, Andrew would become Windsor.
However, a law needs to be passed in the Parliament to obtain other titles.
Although Palace pressure was applied, the reinstatement of their titles was a voluntary act. These have not been removed, but Andrew’s proposal to stop using them could become law immediately, avoiding the use of parliamentary time required to remove these titles.
But Maskell wants the government to change existing laws to make it possible for the King to directly strip him of his other titles and honours, saying a poll in his York Central constituency showed overwhelming support for forcing Andrew to lose his titles.
“There are opportunities here to address the wrongs of history and to ensure that the voices of victims and survivors are heard and action is taken,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
Maskell, who lost the Labor whip in the rebellion over welfare reforms, said he “didn’t come to Parliament to debate princes and princesses” but that such a change could be quickly passed to allow the monarch to remove their titles and honours.
“This simple, single clause could be added to a constitutional bill or a private member’s bill,” he said.
The SNP’s Westminster leader, Flynn, also called for a better mechanism for removing titles.
He said people were “angry and confused, and they deserve to know that some MPs share their anger.”
Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Education Minister Bridget Phillipson said of the debate over stripping the prince of his titles: “Any further decision is not something we as a government would be involved in.”
Prince Andrew is also facing pressure in the US amid investigations into Epstein’s contacts with influential figures and more documents have been seized.
There were reports over the weekend of emails showing Epstein’s connections to Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, who has also lost her title and is no longer the Duchess of York.
The emails suggested Prince Andrew had asked police protection officers for personal information about his 2011 accuser, Virginia Giuffre, and had already obtained her social security number.
This was in stark contrast to his claims in the BBC Newsnight interview: “I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady, at all.”
The Metropolitan Police said it was actively investigating allegations that Andrew was seeking information about himself.
Documents released from the US published by the Mail on Sunday also show that Epstein claimed to have financially supported Sarah Ferguson for 15 years.
Sources close to Sarah Ferguson have denied this is true.
The announcement that Prince Andrew would lose his remaining titles was intended to draw a line under what one royal source called a “constant parade of headlines” about him, drawing attention away from other royals.
Royal sources emphasized that Queen Camilla and the Duchess of Edinburgh also include work to combat violence against women.
The palace will not want the scandal over Andrew to overshadow King Charles’ historic state visit to the Vatican this week, when he will meet Pope Leo.
