Why UK’s Prince Andrew misplaced his royal title | Explainer News

The United Kingdom’s Prince Andrew on Friday introduced that he would surrender the title of the Duke of York days earlier than the publication of a posthumous memoir by Virginia Giuffre, who had accused him of raping her after being trafficked by convicted intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Effective instantly, Prince Andrew will now not log out because the “Duke of York” or append “KG” – denoting Knight of the Garter – after his identify. And the opposite titles will develop into inactive as nicely, just like the His Royal Highness (HRH) honorific.

Giuffre, who died by suicide in April on the age of 41, had accused Andrew of forcing her to have intercourse on three events, together with when she was underage. Though the disgraced UK prince denied Giuffre’s claims, he paid hundreds of thousands of {dollars} to settle a civil sexual assault case together with her in 2022.

The 65-year-old was stripped of most of his titles and faraway from royal duties in 2022 resulting from his connections to Epstein, who died by suicide in a United States jail in 2019 whereas awaiting trial on intercourse trafficking costs. His title choice got here as he hit the headlines once more within the wake of latest revelations about his hyperlinks to Epstein.

So, why has he “given up” his titles? What does it imply for the UK’s Royal Family? And what are his ties with US youngster intercourse offender Epstein?

What has the disgraced prince mentioned?

“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,” Andrew added within the assertion.

“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,” he mentioned, including that the continued accusations in opposition to him “distracted” the royal household.

He additionally used the assertion, launched by way of the Royal Family’s channels, to “vigorously deny the accusations” in opposition to him, as he has maintained.

What distinction does it make to him?

Andrew had moved again to a largely personal life lately, though he stays a part of the household, even when ceremonially, as brother of King Charles and uncle to Prince William and Prince Harry.

He has been shunned from utilizing different titles given to him on his marriage ceremony day – the Earl of Inverness and Baron Killyleagh. Theoretically, Andrew will retain the dukedom – that may solely be eliminated by an act of parliament – however he is not going to use it.

Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York and Andrew’s ex-wife, would additionally not use her title. The titles of their two daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, will stay unaffected.

The couple will proceed to reside within the 30-room Royal Lodge mansion in Windsor, a Grade II-listed property.

However, the property has been leased from the Crown Estate, which means he can’t promote it – as he did with Sunninghill Park house in 2007 for 15 million kilos ($20m) to Timor Kulibayev, the son-in-law of the then-president of Kazakhstan.

The 12-bedroom home close to Windsor Castle was given to the disgraced prince as a marriage current from Queen Elizabeth.

What to find out about Andrew?

Prince Andrew, earlier the Duke of York, is the second son and third youngster of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip – making him the youthful brother of King Charles III.

Born in 1960, he was as soon as one of many extra standard members of the British royal household, identified for his army service as a Royal Navy helicopter pilot through the Falklands War in 1982.

But lately, Andrew has largely withdrawn from public life following intense scrutiny over frequent scandals. His ties to the convicted intercourse offender Epstein – which pushed him to step down from his royal duties in 2019 – has resurfaced after the discharge of latest Epstein recordsdata in September.

Andrew was stripped of his army titles and royal patronages in 2022 after a US choose allowed a civil sexual abuse case in opposition to him to maneuver to trial. He was additionally stripped of his function because the Colonel of the Grenadier Guards, one of many oldest regiments within the British military, by the queen.

Widely believed to be the late queen’s “favourite” youngster, different titles held by the disgraced royal shall be rendered dormant – leaving “prince” as his solely remaining title, one that can’t be stripped since he was born the son of a queen.

What are the accusations in opposition to Andrew?

In 2021, Giuffre, one of the distinguished accusers of Epstein, filed a civil lawsuit in opposition to Prince Andrew in a US court docket, alleging that he had sexually abused her on a number of events, together with when she was 17 years previous – a minor below US regulation.

She claimed she was trafficked by Epstein and his affiliate Ghislaine Maxwell, a British socialite, and compelled to have intercourse with the prince in London, New York, and the US Virgin Islands.

Prince Andrew has denied all allegations – even insisting {that a} now-infamous {photograph} that appeared to indicate them collectively was doctored.

The case was settled out of court docket in early 2022, with Andrew reportedly paying about 12 million kilos ($16m) – then inflicting widespread backlash over whether or not UK taxpayers’ cash was used for the payout.

In April this yr, Giuffre was discovered lifeless at her house close to Perth, Australia. Her household confirmed the loss of life as a suicide, attributing it to the emotional toll of her previous abuse and ongoing private struggles.

Last Friday, the US House Oversight Committee additionally launched paperwork from Epstein’s property displaying “Prince Andrew” listed as a passenger on the convicted intercourse offender’s personal jet, the Lolita Express, from Luton to Edinburgh in 2006.

What does Giuffre’s posthumous memoir say?

On Tuesday, Giuffre’s posthumous memoir goes on sale, the place she particulars her time with the prince and Epstein. In the excerpts printed by a number of media organisations, Giuffre wrote that Andrew believed intercourse together with her was his “birthright”.

In the e-book, Nobody’s Girl, Giuffre describes her conferences with the prince – and likewise recounts what unfolded in London throughout their meet-up.

“Back at the house, [Ghislaine] Maxwell and Epstein said goodnight and headed upstairs, signalling it was time that I take care of the prince. In the years since, I’ve thought a lot about how he behaved. He was friendly enough, but still entitled – as if he believed having sex with me was his birthright.

“He seemed in a rush to have intercourse. Afterward, he said thank you in his clipped British accent. In my memory, the whole thing lasted less than half an hour,” she writes in her memoir.

“The next morning, Maxwell told me: ‘You did well. The prince had fun.’ Epstein would give me $15,000 for servicing the man the tabloids called ‘Randy Andy’.”

Giuffre’s household has lauded the choice of Andrew being pressured to relinquish his titles as “vindication for Virginia”.

“We, the family of Virginia Roberts Giuffre, believe that Prince Andrew’s decision to give up his titles is vindication for our sister and survivors everywhere,” they mentioned in an announcement.

“Further, we believe it is appropriate for King Charles to remove the title of Prince.”

What have been Andrew’s ties with US intercourse offender Epstein?

Prince Andrew is reported to have had a longstanding affiliation with Epstein, a convicted youngster intercourse offender and financier from the US.

The relationship reportedly started within the Nineties, with Andrew socialising with Epstein in elite social circles in each the UK and the US. He is reported to have stayed at Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse, his personal Caribbean island, and flown on Epstein’s personal jet on a number of events. Andrew was additionally listed on one other flight to West Palm Beach, Florida, in 2000.

Epstein’s shut affiliate, British socialite Maxwell, facilitated introductions between Andrew and different distinguished figures, drawing him additional into Epstein’s community. Maxwell is serving 20 years in jail for intercourse trafficking.

The affiliation got here to public scrutiny after Giuffre in 2021 accused Andrew of sexual abuse.

In an notorious 2019 interview with BBC Newsnight, Andrew mentioned he broke off his friendship with Epstein in December 2010.

But the discharge of latest paperwork final month reveals Andrew reportedly despatched a mail three months after the interview. In the e-mail, Andrew appeared to inform Epstein “we are in this together” after the 2 males have been photographed collectively strolling in New York.

In 2008, Epstein had pleaded responsible to costs of solicitation of prostitution and of solicitation of prostitution with a minor, for which he served 13 months in jail.

Epstein was discovered lifeless in his cell at a federal jail in Manhattan in August 2019, awaiting a trial on intercourse trafficking costs. His loss of life was dominated a suicide.

Has the prince been a part of different scandals?

Andrew has been mired in a variety of different scandals, together with an occasion of his “close confidant” being banned from the UK over allegations he was a Chinese spy.

Andrew reportedly held conferences in 2018 and 2019 with Cai Qi, a member of China’s ruling political bureau.

Cai was suspected by the UK authorities of being the recipient of delicate data allegedly handed to China by two British nationals accused of spying for Beijing.