Prince Andrew drops royal titles following ‘discussion with King Charles’ amid Epstein fallout

Prince Andrew has said he will no longer use the title “Duke of York” or other honours that come with royal duties. This includes stepping back from being known as a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order and Royal Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter. He said this was done after talking with King Charles, his brother, and other family members. Andrew explained the decision was made because the ongoing stories about him were distracting the royal family from their work.

What titles does he still have? 

Even though he will not use the titles, he technically still holds them. That is because removing a royal title like “Duke of York” can only be done by the UK Parliament. However, the titles will not be used in any public or private role. Prince Andrew will still be known as a Prince, because that is a birth title as the son of Queen Elizabeth II, and it cannot be removed.

The decision follows growing concern inside Buckingham Palace. Aides and senior royals were worried about the damage being done to the monarchy’s reputation. There has been fresh attention on Andrew after the Guardian published details from a soon-to-be-released book written by Virginia Giuffre, the woman who accused Andrew of sexual abuse.

Giuffre died earlier this year, but in the book she described in detail an alleged encounter with Prince Andrew when she was 17. Andrew has strongly denied all claims and in 2022, he settled a civil case with her for around £12 million, without admitting guilt. The family of Virginia Giuffre said the news of Andrew stepping away from his titles is “vindication” for her and other victims. They also called for King Charles to go further and remove Andrew’s “Prince” title as well.

There are also concerns about meetings Andrew held in 2018 and 2019 with a Chinese politician linked to a spying case. Though no charges have been proven, it added to pressure on Buckingham Palace.

The Epstein connection 

Newly released flight logs show that Prince Andrew flew on Jeffrey Epstein’s private jet on at least four occasions, between 1999 and 2006. He was listed alongside Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s former associate who was later convicted for sex trafficking. These records have raised more questions about the true extent of Andrew’s relationship with Epstein, especially after emails published earlier showed he may have contacted Epstein after claiming he ended their friendship.

MP Rachael Maskell from York Central has called for new laws to let the King or Parliament officially remove royal titles when needed. She said this case shows why that kind of power is important.

Prince Andrew has already lost most of his public roles and military honours. His former wife, Sarah Ferguson, will now also stop using her title “Duchess of York” and go by her name only. However, the titles of their daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, will not be affected.