Get the latest BPR news delivered free to your inbox daily. SIGN UP HERE

Prince Andrew has reportedly been stripped of his military titles and royal patronages in the wake of allegations of sexual assault in a lawsuit brought against him.

The 61-year-old royal was reportedly informed of his status change personally by his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, on Thursday, according to the New York Post. No more will Andrew be known as “His Royal Highness” now that the 95-year-old monarch stripped him of the title and the rest of his royal duties and military titles.

The announcement came after a sexual assault lawsuit against the Duke of York by Virginia Roberts Giuffre in the U.S. was allowed to move forward this week. Giuffre has alleged that Andrew slept with her when she was just 17-years-old and part of the sordid activities perpetrated by the prince’s former friends Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Andrew has denied the charges.

“With The Queen’s approval and agreement, The Duke of York’s military affiliations and Royal patronages have been returned to The Queen,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement. “The Duke of York will continue not to undertake any public duties and is defending this case as a private citizen.”

(Video: BBC News)

The prince was given the news personally by his mother Thursday after he was driven from his house, Royal Lodge, to Windsor Castle, according to the New York Post.

“During a private audience, the monarch told Andrew he will no longer be known as His Royal Highness ‘in any official capacity’ — and that he will be left to fight his lawsuit in the US as a private citizen,” The Post reported, noting he is the fifth royal to lose the title in recent history.

“There was nothing from the Queen about her sadness or dismay, nothing emotional at all. It was so cutting,” a source told the newspaper.

“The removal of titles and patronages means the institution can now legitimately say it is not involved,” a source told the Daily Mail. “It was a ruthless and swift decision which will have been recommended by the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge and sanctioned by the Queen.”

A former Royal Navy helicopter pilot, Andrew flew in the 1982 Falklands War and initially was able to keep his military titles amid the growing scandal. But the Queen was reportedly facing mounting pressure to strip him of those, with more than 150 veterans urging her to do so in a letter.

“Officers of the British armed forces must adhere to the very highest standards of probity, honesty and honorable conduct. These are standards which Prince Andrew has fallen well short of,” the letter said, according to The Post. “We are therefore asking that you take immediate steps to strip Prince Andrew of all his military ranks and titles and, if necessary, that he be dishonorably discharged.

Among the military titles he has now lost include that of colonel of the Grenadier Guards, which is one that he took over from his late father, Prince Philip. Andrew remains listed as ninth in line to the throne on the royal family’s official website.

• Author
• Recent Posts

BPR Wire

Latest posts by BPR Wire (see all)

• The Florida candidate laser-focused on eradicating horrific animal crimes - March 22, 2024
• Sabo: ‘Rush was our GOAT, there was no equal and he made it look easy’ - February 18, 2024
• Dana Bash appears to want to crawl out of her own skin when Ramaswamy ‘goes there’ on J6 - December 7, 2023

Comment

We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.