The decision comes less than two weeks after Andrew announced he would relinquish his Duke of York title, saying:
“In discussion with the King and my immediate and wider family, we have concluded 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 stand back from public life.”
He continued:
“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.”
The Scandal That Still Shadows Andrew
The renewed scrutiny comes after the release of Virginia Giuffre’s posthumous memoir, in which she repeated allegations that she was forced to have sex with Andrew when she was 17, after being trafficked by the late financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Giuffre had sued Andrew in 2021, accusing him of sexual assault. The case was settled out of court in early 2022 for an undisclosed amount. Andrew has consistently stated that the settlement was not an admission of guilt.
He has always strongly denied all allegations and has maintained that he severed ties with Epstein in 2010. However, leaked emails from February 2011 appeared to contradict that claim, showing Andrew allegedly telling Epstein, “We are in this together” and “we’ll play some more soon.”
With this latest move from King Charles, it seems the royal family is drawing a firm line between itself and one of its most controversial members.
