Prince Andrew announced Friday he is relinquishing his title as Duke of York and other royal honors, as renewed attention on his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein continues to overshadow the British monarchy.
Andrew, the 65-year-old younger brother of King Charles III, issued a statement through Buckingham Palace acknowledging that the ongoing accusations against him were a distraction.
“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,” Andrew said. “As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me.”
The decision marks the latest and most symbolic step in Andrew’s fall from public grace. He had already stepped down from royal duties in 2019 following scrutiny of his ties to Epstein, despite denying any wrongdoing.
The renewed spotlight comes after excerpts from a forthcoming posthumous memoir by Virginia Roberts Giuffre were released this week. Giuffre, who alleged that Epstein trafficked her and that she had sex with Andrew when she was 17, died by suicide in April at 41. Her memoir, due out Tuesday, includes detailed allegations about her encounters with the prince.
Andrew has denied Giuffre’s claims, saying he does not recall meeting her. Giuffre sued Andrew in 2021, and the case was settled in 2022 for an undisclosed sum. Court documents stated that Andrew acknowledged Epstein was a sex trafficker and that Giuffre was “an established victim of abuse.”
Andrew’s efforts to counter the allegations famously unraveled during a November 2019 BBC interview. Attempting to rebut Giuffre’s claims, Andrew offered explanations that were widely mocked, including saying he was medically incapable of sweating to refute her recollections of dancing. His lack of empathy toward Epstein’s victims further damaged his reputation.
Within days of the interview, Andrew stepped down from public life. The decision to give up his title represents a final break with his formal royal status, underscoring the enduring impact of the Epstein scandal on the British monarchy.
