Prince Andrew’s concise statement on Friday, confirming he would no longer use his Duke of York title, appeared to be an attempt to close a chapter on a scandal that has plagued the British royal family for over a decade. However, for many, it merely represented another painful stride in his public disgrace.
As each unsettling detail and damning accusation emerged regarding his association with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the royal family steadily eroded Andrew’s privileged status. His public duties ceased in 2019, followed by the revocation of his honorary military titles and the ‘His Royal Highness’ designation in 2022.
The forfeiture of his Duke of York title is widely seen as a significant personal setback. This ancient title, traditionally given to the monarch’s second son, served as Prince Andrew’s main identity throughout his eventful life, from his days as a celebrated war hero and sought-after bachelor.
At 65, Prince Andrew lives a secluded existence on the Windsor estate, west of London. While he retains his princely status by birthright as Queen Elizabeth II’s son, he is effectively an outcast. Buckingham Palace notably excluded him from the family’s Christmas celebrations.
According to royal historian Ed Owens, ‘The monarchy faced overwhelming pressure to distance itself from Andrew.’ He added, ‘With public support for the monarchy showing a consistent decline in recent polls, King Charles III and Prince William have at last taken decisive measures against Andrew to prevent further damage.’
Owens indicated that Prince Andrew had consulted with King Charles III prior to his announcement. He also suggested that Prince William, as the heir, would have played a role in the discussions that led to this latest reduction in his uncle’s royal standing.
Even for Prince Andrew, accustomed to controversy, the past week brought a fresh wave of damaging allegations. Most notably, a new memoir by Virginia Roberts Giuffre, a survivor of Jeffrey Epstein’s sex-trafficking ring, renewed her accusation that the prince raped her as a teenager—an accusation he continues to deny.
Though Ms. Giuffre tragically passed away by suicide in Australia last April, her forthcoming book, ‘Nobody’s Girl,’ set to be released next Tuesday in the U.S. and already excerpted in British media, has reignited public outrage against Andrew. In it, she detailed a sexual encounter, describing how ‘he was particularly attentive to my feet, caressing my toes and licking my arches.’
Giuffre’s family issued a statement, declaring Andrew’s relinquishment of his title as ‘vindication for our sister and survivors everywhere.’
On Friday, Prince Andrew reiterated, ‘I vigorously deny the accusations against me.’ He further explained his decision to abandon the Duke of York title by stating, ‘I have decided, as I always have, to put duty to my family and country first.’
Reports from two British newspapers last week revealed an email from Andrew to Epstein in 2011, contradicting Andrew’s 2019 BBC interview claim of having cut all ties with Epstein a year prior. In the email, published by The Mail on Sunday and The Sun on Sunday, Andrew allegedly wrote to Epstein, ‘We are in this together.’ The New York Times has not independently verified this email.
The revelation that Peter Mandelson, another notable British figure, maintained contact with Epstein for a period longer than previously acknowledged, resulted in his immediate removal as Britain’s ambassador to Washington last September. Unlike in the US, the Epstein scandal has not yet caused a similar level of high-profile dismissals in Britain.
Prince Andrew’s controversies extend even to allegations of involvement in Chinese espionage within Britain. Court documents, cited by The Times of London and The Daily Telegraph, suggest he met repeatedly with Cai Qi, a high-ranking Chinese official close to President Xi Jinping.
Prosecutors suspect Cai Qi received intelligence gathered by two British individuals linked to parliamentary members involved in Chinese affairs. The subsequent dropping of a spying case against these two men has created a significant political challenge for Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
In a further blow, a British immigration court last December affirmed the government’s decision to ban Yang Tengbo, a Chinese man described as a ‘close confidant’ of Prince Andrew, from the country due to national security concerns. Andrew claimed he ‘ceased all contact’ with Yang once officials expressed worries, asserting they had ‘discussed nothing of a sensitive nature.’
However, the court’s decision starkly highlighted Andrew’s diminished influence. A 2021 document from Yang’s phone, outlining discussion points for a call with the prince, indicated Andrew’s keen interest in pursuing business ventures in China.
The document’s advice was stark: ‘Really important not to set too high expectations. He is in a desperate situation and will grab onto anything.’
The palace deliberately leaked news of Andrew’s exclusion from Christmas festivities, sources close to the royal family revealed. This move was intended to signal that he no longer holds privileged access to senior royals like Charles or William, thereby deterring external parties from attempting to use him as a link to the monarchy.
Among the many controversies surrounding the prince, the leaked email from Andrew to Epstein was considered the most damaging. It directly contradicted his 2019 BBC ‘Newsnight’ interview with Emily Maitlis, exposing his prior account as untruthful.
The palace has long since abandoned its defense of Prince Andrew. When a judge allowed Ms. Giuffre’s sexual abuse lawsuit against him to proceed in 2022, the palace explicitly stated he would defend himself ‘as a private citizen.’
During Queen Elizabeth II’s lifetime, Andrew benefited from her powerful support, which included her assistance in funding the confidential settlement payment to Ms. Giuffre, made without admission of guilt. However, following his mother’s death in September 2022, his standing became considerably more uncertain.
Historian Ed Owens noted that the royal family’s recent actions against Andrew underscore their awareness of diminishing public support for the monarchy. A 2023 National Center for Social Research poll on British social attitudes revealed that only 54% of respondents considered the monarchy ‘very’ or ‘quite important,’ a stark drop from 86% in 1983.
Owens emphasized, ‘This broader context is crucial, and it raises the question of whether the monarchy will now tackle another significant public concern: the lack of transparency surrounding royal finances.’