United Kingdom: Prince Andrew, Caught in Scandals, Renounces His Royal Title

Prince Andrew, brother of King Charles III and embroiled in the scandal surrounding his ties to American sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, announced on Friday evening that he would renounce his royal title while "categorically denying" the allegations against him.

"After discussions with the King and my family, we concluded that the ongoing accusations against me were harming the work of Her Majesty and the British royal family. I have decided, as I always have, to prioritize my duty to my family and my country," the prince stated in a press release.

"I will no longer use my title or the honors associated with it," continued the prince, who had already withdrawn from public life five years ago under the pressure of the scandal.

Prince Andrew, 65 years old, immediately loses his title of Duke of York. However, he retains his title as prince, being the son of Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away in 2022.

According to British media, Andrew has also renounced his status as a member of the Order of the Garter, the highest and most exclusive order of British knighthood, founded in the 14th century.

His ex-wife Sarah Ferguson will no longer use her title of Duchess of York, but their two daughters will retain their title of princess.

Andrew "has dishonored his titles," royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams stated on the BBC.

"The monarchy needed to put a stop to this," he added.

Disgrace
Having fallen into disgrace for several years due to his proximity to Jeffrey Epstein, the American financier found dead in his prison cell in 2019, Prince Andrew has recently faced new revelations and scandals.

He has notably been confronted with the damning posthumous testimony of Virginia Giuffre, his main accuser, excerpts from whose forthcoming book were published this week in the press.

In this book, Mrs. Giuffre, who committed suicide in April at the age of 41, recounted the encounters she says she had with him when she was only 17 years old.

"He believed that sleeping with me was his right," she recounts, explaining how she was introduced to Andrew in March 2001 while she was in London at Ghislaine Maxwell's, Jeffrey Epstein's companion and accomplice.

Chain of Revelations
Mrs. Giuffre filed a lawsuit against Prince Andrew in 2021.

He has always denied the accusations of sexual assault and avoided a trial in New York by paying several million dollars.

However, further revelations emerged this week in the British press, claiming that the prince, who had assured in a 2019 BBC interview that he had cut all ties with Jeffrey Epstein in December 2010, had lied and remained in contact with the American financier after that date.

In an email from February 2011, he notably wrote, according to the press: "Let’s stay in touch, we will play together soon!"

Linked to the world of American business and politics, Jeffrey Epstein was convicted in 2008 for recruiting minors for prostitution and soliciting prostitution, before being indicted in 2019 for sex trafficking of minors. Incarcerated while awaiting his trial, he was found dead hanging in his cell a few weeks later.

Additionally, while a political storm currently shakes the United Kingdom regarding a spying case benefiting China, the Telegraph reported this week that Prince Andrew met three times, in 2018 and 2019, with a Chinese official at the center of this espionage affair.