Prince Andrew drops ‘Duke of York’ title amid Epstein scandal
Mapaballo Borotho
- Prince Andrew has given up his “Duke of York” title amid renewed controversy over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
- He said the decision was made in agreement with King Charles III to avoid distracting from royal duties.
- Andrew will retain his “Prince” title and continue living at the Royal Lodge in Windsor.
Prince Andrew, the younger brother of King Charles III and son of the late Queen Elizabeth II, has announced that he will no longer use his royal titles and honours amid renewed scrutiny over his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
In a statement released by Buckingham Palace on Friday, Andrew said:
“In discussion with The King, and my immediate and wider family, we have concluded that the continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family. I have decided, as I always have, to put my duty to my family and country first. I stand by my decision five years ago to step back from public life,” he said.
“With His Majesty’s agreement, we feel I must now go a step further. I will therefore no longer use my title or the honours which have been conferred upon me. As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me.”
This announcement means that Andrew will no longer use his “Duke of York” title, though he technically retains it, as removing it formally requires parliamentary action and a royal decree.
Andrew will still be referred to as Prince Andrew, a title he received at birth from his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away in 2022 at the age of 96.
The decision takes effect immediately and was reportedly made to prevent Andrew’s personal controversies from continuing to overshadow the Royal Family’s work.
The titles of his two daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, remain unchanged. However, their mother, Sarah Ferguson will no longer go by “Duchess of York.”
Andrew, 65, will continue residing at the Royal Lodge on the Windsor Estate, a royal property in Windsor, England.
Once hailed as Queen Elizabeth’s favourite son, he has become the most disgraced figure in the British monarchy. For years, Prince Andrew maintained a close friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, a US financier later convicted of sex offences involving minors.
At the heart of Andrew’s downfall lies a sexual abuse allegation from Virginia Giuffre, a known victim of Jeffrey Epstein’s trafficking network.
Virginia Giuffre accused Andrew of sexually abusing her when she was a teenager.
Though Andrew denied the allegations, the case shook the foundations of the British royal family.