Prince Andrew gives up Duke of York title

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LONDON — Prince Andrew said Friday he is giving up his royal title as Duke of York and other honors after his friendship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein returned to the headlines.

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Andrew, the younger brother of King Charles III, said in a statement released by Buckingham Palace that “the ongoing allegations against me are a distraction from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family.”

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“With His Majesty's consent, we believe that I must now take another step. Therefore, I will no longer use my title or the honors that have been bestowed upon me,” Andrew said in a statement on Friday. “As I have said previously, I strongly deny the allegations made against me.”

Epstein-related allegations

It is the latest fall from grace for the 65-year-old prince, who already retired from public life in 2019 over his links to Epstein, despite denying any wrongdoing.

The news that he will relinquish his title comes after the release of excerpts from the upcoming posthumous memoir by Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who claims Epstein trafficked her and had sex with Andrew when she was 17. The memoir is due to be published Tuesday.

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Giuffre committed suicide in April at the age of 41. In the memoir, she details alleged encounters with Prince Andrew, whom she sued in 2021. Andrew denied her claims and said he didn't remember meeting her.

Mistake at interview

Andrew, once second in line to the British throne, has long been a source of information for the tabloids due to his links to Epstein, other shady characters and money problems.

His attempt to deny Giuffre's allegations backfired during an interview with the BBC in November 2019. Viewers saw the prince offer curious rebuttals—for example, challenging Giuffre's memories of sweaty dancing, claiming he was medically incapable of sweating—and showing no empathy for women who said Epstein abused them.

A few days after the interview, Andrew stepped down from his royal duties. Giuffre sued him and the case was settled in 2022 for an undisclosed amount. The statement filed in court said the prince admitted Epstein was a human trafficker and Giuffre was a “recognized victim of abuse.”

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Family consequences

In addition to no longer using the title Duke of York, a long-standing title given to him by his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, at her wedding to Sarah Ferguson in 1986, Andrew will also give up his other titles: Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order and Royal Knight Commander of the Most Noble Order of the Garter. He will remain a prince, which is his right from birth.

Andrew's ex-wife Sarah Ferguson will also no longer hold the title of Duchess of York. Their children Beatrice and Eugenie will remain princesses.

Andrew's chaotic marriage to Ferguson, popularly known as Fergie, lasted ten years, although they remain close, living together in a 30-room mansion near Windsor Castle.

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Ferguson herself has also been embroiled in allegations related to Epstein. Last month, a number of charities cut ties with her after British newspapers published an email she reportedly wrote to Epstein, calling him her “greatest friend.”

Once upon a time a golden boy

Andrew was a royal hero for many years, and his romantic relationships with a number of models and starlets in his youth were widely reported in the British press.

His star status within the royal family peaked after he flew several missions as a Royal Navy helicopter pilot during the 1982 Falklands War, when British troops sailed into the South Atlantic to drive out Argentine military forces invading Britain's overseas territories.

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Questions about financing

Andrew has long been criticized for his luxurious and traveling lifestyle.

When he stopped being a working member of the royal family, Andrew lost his main source of income. Questions have been raised since he financed his lifestyle, including the maintenance of his Royal Lodge home.

Earlier this year, court documents revealed his damaged reputation and need for money led him to become involved with suspected Chinese spy businessman Tengbo Yang, who was banned from entering the UK in 2023.

Dominic Hampshire, Andrew's former senior aide, told the Special Immigration Appeals Panel how he arranged meetings between the prince and Ian to make some money.

Although Andrew said he never discussed anything sensitive with the suspected spy and stopped contacting him as soon as concerns were raised, he disappeared from public view after the news broke last December.

—Brian Melley contributed to this report.

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