Why the Queen of England Stripped Prince Andrew of His Royal Title
Prince Andrew has been stripped of his royal title, his military titles and royal duties.
An announcement from Buckingham Palace Thursday (Jan. 13) revealed Queen Elizabeth II has revoked Prince Andrew's role as a royal, as well as many of his official titles.
"With the Queen's approval and agreement, the Duke of York's military affiliations and Royal patronages have been returned to the Queen," Buckingham Palace said in a statement. "The Duke of York will continue not to undertake any public duties and is defending this case as a private citizen."
This means that all of his roles have immediately been returned to the Queen. The Queen will redistribute his duties to other members of the royal family.
See the full statement below:
CNN reports that Prince Andrew will no longer be able to use or be referred to as "His Royal Highness" in any official capacity. A source who spoke to CNN claims that the decision to strip him of his duties and titles was discussed among the entire royal family.
Why Did Prince Andrew Lose His Royal Title and Duties?
Content warning below // sexual assault
The news of Prince Andrew's title revocation comes just a day after a judge ruled that a sexual abuse civil lawsuit can move forward against the Duke of York.
In 2019, the Duke of York stepped away from his public royal duties after he was accused of sexual abuse, as well as due to revelations about his former relationship with deceased convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Virginia Giuffre brought the lawsuit against the Queen's reported "favorite son." She alleged that she was sex trafficked by Epstein and had to perform sexual acts on Prince Andrew when she was 17. Prince Andrew denies her claim.
According to AP, U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan agreed to let her lawsuit continue after Andrew's lawyers argued against its proceedings.
His team argues the case should not go to court due to a previous settlement that Giuffre received from Epstein in the amount of $500,000. Kaplan said that the settlement between Epstein and Giuffre didn’t involve the prince, which could not bar a suit against him now.
Is Prince Andrew Still a Prince?
It's unclear if the Duke of York's princely title has or even can be revoked. BBC and other U.K. media are still referring to him as Prince Andrew.
However, it seems so far that Prince Andrew can no longer use the "His Royal Highness" title in any official capacity whatsoever. He has also been stripped of his military affiliations and will no longer participate in any public duties on behalf of the Queen.
If you or someone you know has been the victim of sexual abuse or violence, help is available through the RAINN website. To get help and speak to someone on the phone, dial 1-800-656-4673.