Five years after retreating from the public eye amidst scandal over his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, the United Kingdom’s Prince Andrew has announced that he will be giving up his royal title of the Duke of York.
In a statement released on Friday by Buckingham Palace in London, the younger brother of King Charles III said that he and the royal family had concluded that “the continued accusations” are a distraction to the Crown.
“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,” the prince said.
“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 added.
The prince also reiterated his position on the accusations, stating, “As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me.”
This announcement follows the release of selected passages from Virginia Giuffre’s forthcoming posthumous memoir. Ms. Giuffre, who tragically committed suicide in April, had claimed that Epstein trafficked her and that she had sex with Prince Andrew when she was a minor.
Recently released documents from the Epstein files confirm connections between the prince and the disgraced financier. Flight records from May 2000 indicate that Prince Andrew flew with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell from New Jersey to Florida.
Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted in 2021 on charges related to Epstein’s sex trafficking scheme.
Additionally, financial documents reveal payments made in February and May 2000 for massage services for an individual listed as “Andrew,” although it remains uncertain whether this refers to the prince.
https://www.nysun.com/article/prince-andrew-renounces-duke-of-york-title-amid-renewed-epstein-scandal-allegations