He will also stop being styled ‘His Royal Highness’ in an official capacity. In the statement, the palace said, “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.” Andrew is facing a civil lawsuit brought by Virginia Giuffre, who alleges that she was trafficked at the age of 17 to the royal by the late Jeffrey Epstein and his girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell. The monarch’s decision was likely informed by a letter signed by 150 veterans demanding that she strip her son of his military honors. In the letter, they said, “were this any other senior military officer it is inconceivable that he would still be in post.” Prince Andrew announced that he was stepping back from royal duties back in November 2019 following a disastrous BBC interview in which he said he did not regret the business “opportunities” that his friendship with Epstein had brought him. He said that he could not recall ever meeting Virginia Giuffre. In August this year, Giuffre said, “As the suit lays out in detail, I was trafficked to [Andrew] and sexually abused by him.” She went on, “I am holding Prince Andrew accountable for what he did to me. The powerful and rich are not exempt from being held responsible for their actions. I hope that other victims will see that it is possible not to live in silence and fear, but to reclaim one’s life by speaking out and demanding justice.” Next up: The Duchess of Cambridge Turns 40—See Her Best Looks Through Her 20s and 30s
