Prince Andrew cancels big event for Sarah Ferguson after losing title | Royal | News
Under pressure Prince Andrew has reportedly canceled his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson’s birthday party as the royal faces mounting pressure over the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. Sarah, known as Fergie, was due to celebrate her 66th birthday on Wednesday, October 15, with a huge party at the home the couple share in their Windsor mansion.
Fergie and Andrew were supposed to celebrate the occasion with family, friends and estate workers at the Royal Lodge, but the prince canceled the event as he came under increasing pressure over his royal titles, the Sun reported on Sunday. On Friday, Andrew announced that he would cease using his remaining titles and honors and would no longer be known as the Duke of York, amid renewed controversy over his role in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal and new scrutiny over his alleged contact with a suspected Chinese spy.
Speaking about the reported party cancellation, a friend told the Sun on Sunday: “There was a big party thrown for Fergie.
Added: “All the staff, estate staff and friends had also been invited and were very excited. But Prince Andrew canceled at the last minute. In many ways the party was over for Andrew, he knew the critical time had come.”
The bombshell announcement that Andrew was relinquishing his titles came days before the release of Virginia Giuffre’s memoir. Andrew reportedly paid millions to settle a civil sexual assault case involving her in 2022, despite her insistence that she had never met him.
Ms Giuffre claimed she was forced to have sex with Andrew three times, including when she was 17, after he was trafficked by convicted pedophile Epstein. In her memoir, she said Andrew acted as if sex with her was her “birthright.”
The former duke used his declaration of renouncing his title to insist the allegations against him were untrue, saying: “As I have said before, I strongly deny the allegations against me.”
Virginia Giuffre’s family, who lives in Australia, appeared on British television last night and called on King Charles to go further and take away her brother’s principality. Ms. Giuffre’s sister, Sky Roberts, praised King but said there was “more he could do.”
Mr Roberts told ITV News: “I want to commend the King and the UK for taking action. “Even though it’s not enough in many ways from the survivors’ point of view, even though we have the Epstein files, it’s still a lot more than what our own government has given us here.
“Now, I think there is more he can do for the King. He has the ability to further deprive him of the title of prince, which is what we will demand. I think we have already taken all the necessary steps. Why don’t we take it a step further and strip him of the title of prince as well?”
Titles and honors Andrew will no longer use include his wedding day titles – Duke of York, Earl of Inverness and Baron Killyleagh, his knighthood as a Grand Knight’s Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO) and his role as Royal Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter.
The prince resigned from public life in 2019 after saying in a Newsnight interview that he had “no regrets” about his friendship with Einstein. He was later stripped of his military patronages by the late Queen and ceased using the title HRH.
