Prince Andrew gives up Duke of York title after Epstein fallout
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Prince Andrew gives up the Duke of York title and royal honors after renewed scrutiny over his Epstein ties, with King Charles approving the move.
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Prince Andrew looks round as he leaves after attending the Easter Matins Service at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, England, April 20, 2025. (AP)
Prince Andrew has agreed to stop using his Duke of York title and royal honors, Buckingham Palace confirmed Friday, in a move aimed at limiting reputational damage to the monarchy following renewed attention to his past ties with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
In a statement released through the palace, Andrew said the decision was made after discussions “with the king, and my immediate and wider family.” He added, “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.”
The 65-year-old prince will relinquish the use of his honors as a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order and Royal Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter. He will, however, remain a prince, a title by birth that cannot be removed without constitutional reform.
Decision coordinated with King and royal family
The decision reportedly came after high-level meetings at Buckingham Palace involving King Charles, Prince William, and senior aides who had grown increasingly anxious about the ongoing reputational damage caused by Andrew’s association with Epstein. Palace sources described the situation as having reached a “tipping point.”
According to reports, King Charles approved the decision and expressed relief at the outcome. Andrew’s ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, will also no longer use her Duchess of York title, though their daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, will retain their own.
The announcement followed the publication of new excerpts from the forthcoming memoir of Virginia Giuffre, Andrew’s accuser, who died by suicide in April. In the book, Giuffre describes alleged encounters with the prince and claims he “believed that having sex with me was his birthright.”
Giuffre’s family said Andrew’s renunciation of his titles amounted to “vindication for Virginia and survivors everywhere.” They also called on King Charles to go further and strip Andrew of his princely title entirely.
Andrew has consistently denied all allegations and, in 2022, settled Giuffre’s civil lawsuit for a reported £12 million, without admitting liability.
Renewed controversy over Epstein ties
The move came as newly released US court documents revealed that Andrew took at least four flights on Epstein’s private jet between 1999 and 2006, accompanied on some trips by Ghislaine Maxwell and other associates. The revelations also contradicted his 2019 BBC Newsnight interview, where he claimed to have cut ties with Epstein in 2010.
Emails later obtained by British media show Andrew remained in contact with Epstein even after photographs of the pair together in New York surfaced. In one message, he wrote: “It would seem we are in this together and will have to rise above it.”
Epstein died in 2019 in a Manhattan jail cell while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges; his death was ruled a suicide, though the results remain contested by many.
Rachael Maskell, Labour MP for York Central, renewed calls for her bill that would grant the monarch authority to remove peerages or titles without parliamentary approval. “Having sought to change the law through my removal of titles bill, I now think it is time for this legislation,” she said.
Prince Andrew had already been stripped of his military roles and banned from using the HRH (His Royal Highness) title in 2022. With this latest move, he effectively withdraws from public life, his titles dormant, his reputation in permanent decline.
