Queen Strips Prince Andrew of Titles Amid Intercourse-Abuse Case

Prince Andrew goes thru a seemingly trial in Fresh York this fall after his lawyers nowadays failed to forestall a swimsuit stemming from his ties to disgraced financier

Jeffrey Epstein

and British socialite

Ghislaine Maxwell.

One in all Epstein’s victims,

Virginia Giuffre,

filed the lawsuit against Prince Andrew remaining yr, alleging she became once forced to enjoy sex with the British royal when she became once 17. Prince Andrew has denied the total allegations.

The elimination of his titles marks a fall from grace for Prince Andrew, who has long been the middle of detrimental publicity for the palace. In 2011, he gave up a job as U.K. alternate envoy after being criticized over his ties to Epstein and connections to controversial figures within the Center East. In 2019, he agreed to temporarily step abet from royal tasks.

Prince Harry became once additionally stripped of his militia titles remaining yr and barred from the insist of the HRH title when he stop royal tasks in 2020 to bound to the U.S.

On Thursday, Buckingham Palace acknowledged that Prince Andrew’s militia affiliations had been returned to the queen with her “approval and agreement.” It added Prince Andrew will defend his in case in Fresh York as a non-public citizen. Buckingham Palace acknowledged he “will proceed no longer to undertake any public tasks.”

Prince Andrew, who’s a outmoded of the Falklands Battle, became once a colonel within the British Navy’s Grenadier Guards and additionally withhold loads of other honorary militia titles. Buckingham Palace listed loads of patronages at the side of the Commonwealth Golfing Society and the Helicopter Membership of Gigantic Britain. These would per chance be redistributed to other participants of the royal family.

The probability of a extremely publicized trial within the yr that Queen Elizabeth is due to the enjoy a honest time her 70 years on the British throne is causing consternation in Buckingham Palace, officers scream. Since 2019, the prince has no longer continually seemed in public with the royal family.

If a trial proceeds, royal watchers now factor in that settling out of court docket with Ms. Giuffre would be basically the most atmosphere friendly manner to construct an cease to the topic. Nonetheless, that will perhaps well lift questions on who would pay for a settlement, given the British taxpayer helps fund the royal family with an annual grant. Prince Andrew unexcited lives on his mother’s estate in Windsor. He within the mean time doesn’t enjoy a beefy-time job. Buckingham Palace declined to commentary on the on ongoing trial.

Prince Andrew became once effectively sent into royal exile after attempting to certain his name with a 2019 interview with the British Broadcasting Corp. that provoked an intense, detrimental public reaction.

The prince acknowledged within the future of that interview that he regretted staying at Epstein’s Fresh York home in 2010, following Epstein’s release from penal advanced after a sexual-assault conviction. The prince explained he became once doing the “honorable thing” by telling Epstein in particular person that he became once ending their relationship. He acknowledged that he had no recollection of ever meeting Ms. Giuffre or dancing with her in a London nightclub. He added that her myth of him sweating within the nightclub couldn’t be upright because on the time he had a medical condition that supposed he couldn’t sweat.

Prince Andrew later issued a commentary asserting he regretted his “sick-judged association” with Epstein. He stepped abet from royal tasks right now after. Nonetheless, the announcement on the time repeatedly left the door launch for his return to the royal front line must unexcited his name be cleared. Buckingham Palace’s commentary on Thursday appears to be to shut the door on that.

Write to Max Colchester at max.colchester@wsj.com