Prince Andrew stripped of titles as sex abuse court case looms

Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain has stripped her second son, Prince Andrew, of his military affiliations and patronages on Thursday, as the royal palace looks to distance itself from the prince and his legal troubles linked to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Prince Andrew has also agreed not to use the title “His Royal Highness” in any capacity, according to a Buckingham Palace official.

The Duke of York may be facing a trial in New York after his lawyers failed to halt a lawsuit stemming from his ties to Epstein and British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell. One of Epstein’s victims, Virginia Giuffre, alleged she was forced to have sex with the royal when she was 17.

Prince Andrew has denied all the allegations.

The Queen’s actions effectively place Prince Andrew on the same level as Prince Harry, who was also stripped of his military titles and barred from using the HRH title after he married American actress Meghan Markle and moved out of the country.

Prince Andrew is no newcomer to scandal. He resigned as U.K. trade envoy in 2011 after criticism for his connections to Epstein and controversial political figures in the Middle East. He was suspended from royal duties in 2019 after discussing his relationship with Epstein in a BBC interview.