Prince Andrew will no longer have any of his royal titles, Buckingham Palace confirmed Friday, as King Charles III moves to end years of public fallout over his brother's ties to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The decision, royal sources said, reflects a "tipping point" for the monarch, who has sought to protect the institution's credibility amid enduring scandal.
"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," the prince said in a statement released Friday. "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 honors which have been conferred upon me," the statement continued. "As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me."
The move strips the 65-year-old royal of his title as Duke of York and any remaining formal honors, cementing his withdrawal from public life. King Charles is said to have concluded that his brother's ongoing controversies risked overshadowing the monarchy's work, according to reports from multiple British outlets.
Prince Andrew first stepped back from official duties in November 2019 after a disastrous BBC Newsnight interview in which he defended his friendship with Epstein. The financier died by suicide in a New York jail cell that August while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. The interview, widely condemned as tone-deaf, triggered a crisis inside the royal family and effectively ended Andrew's public career.
In January 2022, Queen Elizabeth II stripped her son of all military affiliations and royal patronages following a lawsuit by Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre, who alleged that she was forced to have sex with the prince when she was 17. Andrew denied the claim but settled the case out of court in February 2022 for an undisclosed sum.
Giuffre, who alleged she was introduced to Andrew by Epstein's associate Ghislaine Maxwell, wrote in her forthcoming memoir that the prince "believed having s-- with me was his birthright." She died by suicide earlier this year in Australia.
In his Newsnight interview, Andrew claimed he had "no recollection of ever meeting this lady, none whatsoever." He admitted, however, that he regretted maintaining contact with Epstein after his 2008 conviction. "I kick myself for (it) on a daily basis because it was not something that was becoming of a member of the royal family," he said. "We try and uphold the highest standards and practices, and I let the side down, simple as that."
