‘I have decided to put my country first’: Prince Andrew gives up royal titles after ‘discussion with King’ as Epstein scandal deepens

Britain's Prince Andrew on Friday (Oct 18) announced that he would give up his title of Duke of York, following "discussion" with King Charles III. This comes amid massive pressure on Prince Andrew over connections to the late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein as calls for the release of the controversial Epstein Files increases. Andrew is the second son of the late Queen Elizabeth and the younger brother of King Charles. He is also in mid of a controversy related to a spy case after a court ruling last year revealed that one of his close business associates was a Chinese spy.

‘I have decided to put my duty to my family and country first’: Prince Andrew

In a statement, Andrew said that the continued accusations against him had become a distraction from the work of his elder brother, King Charles, and the broader duties of the British royal family. He stated that he had decided to prioritise his duty to his family and country. He reaffirmed his decision made five years earlier to step back from public life. He then said that he would no longer use the title or honours previously conferred upon him as a part of the Royal Family. He also reiterated that he strongly denied the accusations made against him. Reuters quoted a royal source saying that the King was reportedly pleased with the decision.

“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 the title or the honours which have been conferred upon me. As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me,” Andrew said.

In 2011 when he stepped down as the UK's special trade representative. He later withdrew from all royal duties in 2019 and was formally stripped of his military titles and royal patronages in 2022 following allegations of sexual misconduct—allegations he has consistently denied. That same year, he reached an out-of-court settlement in a civil lawsuit filed by Virginia Giuffre, one of the main accuser of Epstein. Giuffre who passed away in April this year, had accused Andrew of sexually abusing her when she was a teenager. Although Andrew has always rejected her claims, in her memoir, Giuffre alleged that Andrew acted as though he was entitled to have sex with her, seeing it as a privilege of his royal status, The Guardian reported.