Queen Elizabeth Strips Prince Andrew of His Titles Amid Sex Abuse Court Case

Prince Andrew is going through a possible trial in New York this tumble soon after his legal professionals a short while ago unsuccessful to halt a accommodate stemming from his ties to disgraced financier
Jeffrey Epstein
and British socialite
Ghislaine Maxwell.
1 of Epstein’s victims,
Virginia Giuffre,
submitted the lawsuit versus Prince Andrew last calendar year, alleging she was pressured to have sexual intercourse with the British royal when she was 17. Prince Andrew has denied all the allegations.

The removing of his titles marks a slide from grace for Prince Andrew, who has extensive been the heart of unfavorable publicity for the palace. In 2011, he gave up a job as U.K. trade envoy immediately after getting criticized above his ties to Epstein and connections to controversial figures in the Middle East. In 2019, he agreed to quickly phase back from royal obligations.

Prince Harry was also stripped of his military titles final calendar year and barred from utilizing the HRH title when he stop royal duties in 2020 to shift to the U.S.

On Thursday, Buckingham Palace explained that Prince Andrew’s navy affiliations were being returned to the queen with her “approval and arrangement.” It added Prince Andrew will defend his in circumstance in New York as a non-public citizen. Buckingham Palace stated he “will continue not to undertake any general public duties.”

Prince Andrew, who is a veteran of the Falklands War, was a colonel in the British Army’s Grenadier Guards and also keep various other honorary military titles. Buckingham Palace listed various patronages which include the Commonwealth Golfing Modern society and the Helicopter Club of Fantastic Britain. These will be redistributed to other users of the royal loved ones.

The prospect of a hugely publicized trial in the yr that Queen Elizabeth is owing to celebrate her 70 yrs on the British throne is creating consternation in Buckingham Palace, officials say. Since 2019, the prince has hardly ever appeared in public with the royal spouse and children.

If a trial proceeds, royal watchers now believe that settling out of court docket with Ms. Giuffre would be the most successful way to set an stop to the issue. Nevertheless, that could increase issues about who would pay out for a settlement, presented the British taxpayer will help fund the royal spouse and children with an annual grant. Prince Andrew nonetheless life on his mother’s estate in Windsor. He at this time doesn’t have a entire-time work. Buckingham Palace declined to remark on the on ongoing trial.

Prince Andrew was successfully sent into royal exile following trying to apparent his name with a 2019 interview with the British Broadcasting Corp. that provoked an intensive, negative community reaction.

The prince stated in the course of that interview that he regretted remaining at Epstein’s New York dwelling in 2010, subsequent Epstein’s launch from jail just after a sexual-assault conviction. The prince described he was undertaking the “honorable thing” by telling Epstein in individual that he was ending their partnership. He reported that he had no recollection of ever conference Ms. Giuffre or dancing with her in a London nightclub. He extra that her account of him sweating in the nightclub couldn’t be precise due to the fact at the time he had a medical issue that intended he could not sweat.

Prince Andrew later issued a assertion stating he regretted his “ill-judged association” with Epstein. He stepped back from royal obligations soon immediately after. On the other hand, the announcement at the time usually remaining the door open up for his return to the royal entrance line should his identify be cleared. Buckingham Palace’s assertion on Thursday appears to shut the doorway on that.

Create to Max Colchester at [email protected]