Prince Andrew has agreed to stop using his titles, including the Duke of York, following discussions with King Charles.
The move marks a significant step back from royal life and comes amid renewed scrutiny of his association with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein.
In a statement issued by Buckingham Palace on Friday, the Prince said:
“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.
“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 decision follows mounting pressure from the King and senior members of the Royal Family. It is understood that the Prince will also relinquish his membership of the Order of the Garter. His HRH style remains in abeyance, and his position as Counsellor of State is inactive due to his non-working royal status.
Sarah, Duchess of York, will also give up her title and will now be known as Sarah Ferguson. The announcement was reportedly made in close consultation with both the King and the Prince of Wales. Sources say the King was “glad” at the outcome, with Prince William also said to have supported the move.
A statement released on Buckingham Palace letterhead was titled “A statement from Prince Andrew”, indicating that the change took effect immediately. Previously, such communications would have been issued under “The Duke of York”.
Palace officials confirmed that the Prince retains his title by birth, in line with historic Letters Patent, and that the titles of his daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, remain unchanged.
Prince Andrew will continue to reside at Royal Lodge, Windsor. Efforts to relocate him reportedly failed due to a long-term lease with the Crown Estate that runs until 2078. Both he and Ms Ferguson are understood not to have been invited to join the Royal Family at Sandringham this Christmas.
The decision comes after what palace insiders described as “tipping point” discussions, amid fears that further headlines concerning the Prince’s ties to Epstein could overshadow royal engagements, including next week’s state visit to the Vatican.
Prince Andrew had already been stripped of his military titles and charitable roles in 2022, after facing a civil lawsuit brought by Virginia Giuffre, an alleged victim of Epstein’s trafficking network when she was 17. He settled the case out of court that year without admitting liability, reportedly paying around $12 million.
Documents released in the United States this week show the Prince appearing on Epstein’s flight logs on four occasions between 1999 and 2006. There is no suggestion of criminal wrongdoing by the Prince.
In response to the latest development, Ms Giuffre’s family issued a statement saying:
“We, the family of Virginia Roberts Giuffre, believe that Prince Andrew’s decision to give up his titles is vindication for our sister and survivors everywhere. This decisive action is a powerful step forward in our fight to bring Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s child sex-trafficking network to justice. Further, we believe it is appropriate for King Charles to remove the title of Prince.
“This moment serves as victory for Virginia, who consistently maintained, ‘He knows what happened, I know what happened, and there’s only one of us telling the truth, and I know that’s me.’”
Haley Robson, another survivor of Epstein’s abuse, told the BBC that the moment was “bittersweet”.
“I have moments of joyous tears,” she said. “I’m just flabbergasted that something finally broke and somebody is finally holding accountability.”
She added praise for the King, saying:
“This is why King Charles is king. He is showing the world, including America, what it looks like to have somebody held accountable.
Thank you for standing up to the system, to the abusers. Thank you for putting your people first and making the people a priority. Thank you for doing what is long-awaited, what is appropriate, and for acting and doing the right thing.”
Main Image: Prince Andrew. Photographer: Sergeant Donald Todd (RLC) UK MOD © Crown copyright 2021 MOD Crown Copyright News / Editorial Licence.
