Prince Andrew has agreed to stop using his Duke of York title, according to a statement from Buckingham Palace. He will also give up his membership in the Order of the Garter, so the only title he will keep is “prince,” which he cannot lose because he was born the son of a queen.
Andrew said that after talking with King Charles and other family members, they decided the accusations against him were taking attention away from the royal family’s work. He said he wants to put his family and country first, so he will no longer use his titles or honours. He also said again that he denies all the accusations made against him.
Technically, he still holds the dukedom, but he will not use it unless Parliament officially removes it. He will also give up his knighthood in the Royal Victorian Order. King Charles and other senior royals supported the decision, as they felt Andrew’s personal scandals were hurting the royal family’s reputation.
His ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, will also stop using the title Duchess of York and will go by her own name. Their daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, will keep their royal titles.
The decision came after palace officials felt Andrew’s situation had gone too far and was causing too much damage. The accusations against him are linked to his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender, and recent reports of meetings with a Chinese official involved in a spy case.
Virginia Giuffre, who accused Andrew of sexually abusing her when she was 17, wrote about her experiences in a memoir published after her death earlier this year. Andrew has always denied her claims but paid her about £12 million to settle a civil case in 2022 without admitting guilt.
It was also revealed that Andrew had stayed in touch with Epstein longer than he said in his 2019 BBC interview. Leaked emails showed he wrote to Epstein after their friendship became public, suggesting they should “rise above it.”
