Prince Andrew to give up royal title of Duke of York after talks with King Charles
Giuffre died by suicide in April. In her memoir, she details her alleged encounters with Prince Andrew, whom she sued in 2021 when she was 17, claiming they had sex. Andrew denied her claims and said he did not remember meeting her.
Andrew, once second in line to the British throne, has long been a source of tabloid coverage for his links to Epstein, other questionable characters and money woes.
An attempt to debunk Giuffre’s claims backfired during a BBC interview in November 2019. Viewers saw a prince who offered interesting rebuttals, such as disputing Giuffre’s sweaty dance memories by saying she had no medical ability to sweat, and showed no empathy for the women who say Epstein abused them.
A few days after the interview, Andrew stepped down from royal duties. Giuffre sued him, and the case was settled in 2022 for an undisclosed amount. In the statement submitted to the court, it was stated that the prince admitted that Epstein was a sex trafficker and Giuffre was a “victim of abuse”.
A recent poll by YouGov found that 67% of Britons support stripping Andrew of his remaining royal titles, while 13% oppose the move. A separate survey found that only 5% of respondents had a positive opinion of him.
Sarah Ferguson.Credit: access point
Andrew, who has already given up being called “His Royal Highness”, will continue to live at the Royal Lodge, a large estate set in the grounds surrounding Windsor Castle, a historic royal palace in west London.
While Andrew will no longer be known as the Duke of York, he will also give up other titles: Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order and Royal Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter.
He will remain the prince that has been his right since birth.
But he will no longer attend the annual royal Christmas gatherings at the royal house Sandringham in the east of England.
In addition to being haunted by his ties to Epstein, Andrew’s business dealings also turned out to be troubled.
Last December, court documents revealed that a Chinese businessman authorized to seek investors in China on Andrew’s behalf was banned from entering Britain on national security grounds.
Documents have revealed that the businessman, who the British government believes is a spy, was invited to Andrew’s birthday party.
More to come
Lifeline 13 11 14
AP, Reuters
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