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By Andrew Stanton and Amanda Castro
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Prince Andrew will relinquish his remaining royal titles, including Duke of York and the Order of the Garter, following renewed scrutiny over his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Why It Matters
Prince Andrew has long faced scrutiny over alleged ties to Epstein, the disgraced financier who died by suicide in a New York federal jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking. Virginia Giuffre alleged that she was trafficked for sex by Epstein to Prince Andrew when she was 17 years old. He has denied those allegations, including in the statement released Friday.
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In 2022, Giuffre filed a lawsuit accusing Prince Andrew of rape. He denied those allegations and settled out of court for an undisclosed sum while denying liability. Giuffre died by suicide in April.
The announcement comes as Giuffre's ghostwritten memoir, in which she is expected to shed new light on these allegations, is set to be published next week.
Prince Andrew Gives Up Royal Titles: What We Know
Andrew announced in a statement on Friday afternoon that he would remove his royal titles.
"In discussion with The King, and my immediate and wider family, we have concluded the continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family," the prince said in a statement. "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 my title or the honours which have been conferred upon me. As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me."
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The BBC reported that Andrew will remain a prince but give up the title Duke of York, which was given to him by the late Queen Elizabeth. His ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, will no longer be known as the Duchess of York. The publication also reported that his daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, will retain their titles.
He will also give up titles of Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order and Royal Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, the Associated Press reported.
Andrew ended his official royal duties in 2019 amid backlash to concerns about his connections to Epstein. He has long denied any wrongdoing.
Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein Scandal: Alleged Email Connection Explained
Prince Andrew had said his last contact with Epstein was in 2010, but a recently unearthed email from 2011 cast doubt over that account.
The message came one day after the publication of a photograph of Prince Andrew with his arm around Giuffre in The Mail on Sunday. He allegedly emailed Epstein, "I’m just as concerned for you! Don’t worry about me! It would seem we are in this together and will have to rise above it. Otherwise keep in close touch and we’ll play some more soon!!!!"
Full details about the allegations were not public at the time.
The email was first published in The Sun and The Mail on Sunday.
What People Are Saying
BBC Senior Royal Correspondent Daniela Relph wrote: "The statement from Prince Andrew is short and concise. It is not conciliatory in its tone. There is no apology. But he recognises the distraction he has become. The details of any discussions he has had with his older brother, the King, have not been revealed but it would be safe to say the current situation was unsustainable and something had to change."
Virginia Giuffre wrote in Nobody's Girl: "For all that’s happened to expose Epstein and Maxwell’s crimes, more action is needed. Because some people still think Epstein was an anomaly, an outlier. And those people are wrong. While the sheer number of victims Epstein preyed upon may put him in a class by himself, he was no outlier. The way he viewed women and girls – as playthings to be used and discarded – is not uncommon among certain powerful men who believe they are above the law. And many of those men are still going about their daily lives, enjoying the benefits of their power."
Prince Andrew told Emily Maitlis of the BBC in a 2019 interview that he did not have sex with any Epstein victims: "No, and without putting too fine a point on it, if you're a man, it is a positive act to have sex with somebody.
"You have to take some sort of positive action and so therefore if you try to forget it's very difficult to try and forget a positive action and I do not remember anything."
What Happens Next
Giuffre's memoir, Nobody's Girl, is set to be released on October 21, 2025.
Update 10/17/25, 3:24 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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