Prince Andrew, a Britain Royal has been stripped of his military roles and royal patronages, a royal source said.
This will mean that he (Prince Andrew) will no longer be known as “His Royal Highness”, as the second son of the Queen fights a lawsuit in the United States in which he is accused of sexual abuse – allegations he has continually denied.
But a source close to the duke said he would “continue to defend himself” against the case brought by Virginia Giuffre.
“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 Buckingham Palace statement noted.
The Charges Raised Against Andrew
The move that strips the Prince of all royal connections comes after the Prince’s lawyers failed to persuade a US judge to dismiss a civil lawsuit against him in which Virginia Giuffre accuses him of sexual abuse when she was 17.
US District Judge, Lewis Kaplan said Giuffre who is now 38, could pursue claims that Andrew battered her and intentionally caused her emotional distress while Epstein, a financier who killed himself in jail in August 2019 just before he was due to stand trial on sex trafficking charges, was trafficking her.
The Prince has denied Giuffre’s accusations that he forced her to have sex and abused her for more than two decades ago at a London home of Epstein’s former partner and associate, Ghislaine Maxwell.
Andrew denied ever having sex with Giuffre but, conceded his continued association with Epstein, even after he was convicted of soliciting prostitution, let the royal family down.
He described Maxwell, who was convicted of sex trafficking and abuse by a court in New York this month, as a friend.
‘Disrepute’
The removal of Andrew’s military roles came after more than 150 Royal Navy, Royal Air Force and British Army veterans wrote to the queen.
“Were this any other senior military officer it is inconceivable that he would still be in post,” the veterans wrote in a joint letter made public by the anti-monarchy pressure group Republic.
“Officers of the British armed forces must adhere to the very highest standards of probity, honesty and honourable conduct. These are standards which Prince Andrew has fallen well short of and has brought the services he is associated with into disrepute”.
Navy, Royal Air Force and British Army Veterans
Media reports from London said Andrew had become toxic to the monarchy, although he happens to be the queen’s favourite son.
The judge’s decision in the US means Andrew could be forced to give evidence at a trial which could begin between September and December 2022 unless a settlement is reached.
A source close to Andrew, told the media that: “Given the robustness with which Judge Kaplan greeted our arguments, we are unsurprised by the ruling. However, it was not a judgement on the merits of Ms Giuffre’s allegations. This is a marathon, not a sprint and the Duke will continue to defend himself against these claims.”
Senior members of the British royal family have typically been appointed as honorary heads of military units, with the queen’s approval.
Andrews Loses Prestigious Title in British Army
The duke had a 22-year career in the Royal Navy, where he served as a helicopter pilot during the Falklands War.
The latest Palace announcement means he has lost military titles including Colonel of the Grenadier Guards, one of the most senior infantry regiments in the British army.
Other UK Military Titles Lost
- Honorary air commodore of RAF Lossiemouth
- Colonel-in-chief of the Royal Irish Regiment
- Colonel-in-chief of the Small Arms School Corps
- Colonel-in-chief of The Royal Lancers (Queen Elizabeth’s Own)
- Colonel-in-chief of the Yorkshire 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
- Royal Colonel of the Royal Regiment of Scotland.
The duke will also lose several overseas honorary roles including colonel-in-chief of The Royal Highland Fusiliers Of Canada, colonel-in-chief of the Royal New Zealand Army Logistic Regiment, colonel-in-chief of the Princess Louise Fusiliers of Canada and colonel-in-chief of the Queen’s York Rangers (1st American Regiment).
However, Andrew will retain his service rank of Vice-Admiral, the Palace has confirmed.
As an ex-member of the armed forces, he was promoted in line with his still-serving peers and made Vice-Admiral by the Navy on his 55th birthday in 2015.
The duke was due to be promoted to Admiral on his 60th birthday in 2020 but asked to defer this after stepping back from public duties in 2019.
At the time, the Palace said his other military appointments had been suspended.
Additionally, several other charities and organisations had cut their ties with the duke, but he continued to hold dozens of royal patronages – including being a patron or member of prestigious golf clubs, schools and cultural trusts.
The chair of the Commons Defence Select Committee, Tobias Ellwood, welcomed the return of the Duke of York’s military titles and royal patronages.
He told the media that the duke’s change in status ahead of the US civil case was “necessary” to protect the reputation of the military.
“Prince Andrew already had stepped back from many of his public duties – I think all of them, as well. So I think this was anticipated, indeed it was expected, from this perspective, so I’m actually not surprised. It’s important that the problems that Prince Andrew has incurred aren’t bled over into the regiments that he was representing.”
The Chair of the Commons Defence Select Committee, Tobias Ellwood
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