Mounting legal problems stemming from an association with notorious alleged sex trafficker, Jeffery Epstein, has led to Prince Andrew being stripped of his royal titles and military affiliations.
A tweet from Buckingham Palace states:
“With the Queen’s approval and agreement, The Duke of York’s military affiliations and Royal patronages have been returned to The Queen.
The Duke of York will continue not to undertake any public duties and is defending this case as a private citizen.”
A statement from Buckingham Palace regarding The Duke of York: pic.twitter.com/OCeSqzCP38
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) January 13, 2022
According to ABC News royal contributor Robert Jobson, the move is “hugely significant.”
Jobson notes that Andrew’s honorary military titles included Colonel of the Grenadier Guards, one of the oldest regiments in the British Army; Honorary air commodore of RAF Lossiemouth; Colonel-in-chief of the Royal Irish Regiment; Colonel-in-chief of the Small Arms School Corps; Commodore-in-Chief of the Fleet Air Arm; Royal colonel of the Royal Highland Fusiliers; Deputy colonel-in-chief of The Royal Lancers; and Royal Colonel of the Royal Regiment of Scotland.
Speaking of the impact this move will have, Jobson said:
“It’s clear to me there’s no way back from this for Andrew as a public figure. The reality is, as the queen is not only head of state but also of the armed forces, she will have taken note of the unrest amongst the military-affiliated with the duke and acted appropriately.”
Jobson added, “The last sentence, referring to him as a private citizen in an official statement, is unheard of and shows that he has clearly been cut adrift by the royal family.”
According to a Fox News report, a royal source also claimed the Duke of York would no longer use “His Royal Highness” or HRH “in any official capacity.”
A previous RTM post noted that on Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan refused to dismiss a lawsuit against the Prince by Virginia Guiffre, who alleges Andrew sexually abused her when she was 17.
Guiffre alleges Epstein and his recently convicted partner, Ghislaine Maxwell, trafficked her and put her in contact with Andrew. Guiffre’s lawyer asserts that she was “on call for Epstein for sexual purposes” and “lent out to… powerful men.”
Andrew denies all charges, but for the last year, has tried to quash the case on technical grounds, alleging a 2009 settlement reached between Guiffre and Epstein should prohibit her from lodging a criminal or civil suit against him.
Andrew is Queen Elizabeth’s son. Amid growing problems, Andrew resigned from public duties in November 2019. However, until this week, he was still listed on the royal family’s website as a “patron or member of around 100 charities and organizations,” according to Fox News.
Experts note that Andrew’s case will go to trial sometime between September and December 2022.
Scroll down to leave a comment and share your thoughts.
