Prince Andrew Gives Up His Royal Titles After Years of Scandal

Written by: Keya Gambhir

Prince Andrew, the second son of the late Queen Elizabeth II and brother of King Charles III, has officially announced that he will stop using his royal titles and honors, including his historic title of Duke of York. The decision marks the final and most severe consequence of years of controversy surrounding his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and the late Virginia Giuffre, who accused the prince of sexual assault when she was a teenager.

The announcement, made on Friday, followed what reports describe as lengthy discussions within the royal family. According to CNN and The New York Times, King Charles and Prince William were directly consulted, and both supported the decision. A palace source said the move was intended to finally “draw a line” under the scandal that has haunted the royal family for years.

Prince Andrew said in a statement that he made the choice “to put duty to my family and country first” and once again “vigorously denies the accusations against me.”

A Rare and Symbolic Move

Giving up a dukedom is almost unheard of in British history. According to CNN, the last comparable case occurred more than a century ago, when Prince Charles Edward, a grandson of Queen Victoria, was stripped of his title of Duke of Albany in 1917 for fighting for Germany during World War I. In contrast, Andrew’s case was not forced through Parliament but was a personal relinquishment, meant to avoid the political complications that would have come with an official removal.

Andrew will still retain his title as Prince, which comes from birth, but all other honorary designations, including “His Royal Highness” and his military and charitable roles, have been removed. His ex-wife will now be known simply as Sarah Ferguson, no longer the Duchess of York, though their daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, will keep their titles.

From War Hero to Royal Outcast

The fall of Prince Andrew, now 65, has been long and public. Once celebrated for his military service during the Falklands War and known as one of the royal family’s most charismatic figures, Andrew’s image began to collapse in 2019 after his disastrous BBC Newsnight interview. He was asked about his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein and his alleged sexual encounter with Virginia Giuffre, but failed to deny wrongdoing convincingly.

Soon after, he stepped down from royal duties, and by 2022, he was stripped of his military titles and stopped using the style His Royal Highness. Since then, Andrew has lived mostly out of the spotlight at Royal Lodge, a 30-room mansion on the Windsor estate. However, royal experts like Kate Williams told CNN that even in private, he has remained “toxic to the royal brand,” with many in Britain seeing him as an enduring embarrassment to the monarchy.

Renewed Scandals and Public Pressure

The latest move came after weeks of damaging headlines. According to The New York Times, newly uncovered emails showed that Andrew wrote to Epstein in 2011, saying, “We are in this together,” contradicting his earlier claim that he had cut ties with the financier years before. Around the same time, excerpts from Virginia Giuffre’s posthumous memoir, Nobody’s Girl, were published in the British press.

Giuffre died by suicide in Australia in April, but her family said that Andrew giving up his titles was “vindication for our sister and survivors everywhere.” Her brother told CNN, “Today is a day where we’ve shed a lot of happy and sad tears. Happy because it’s a good start.”

In 2022, Giuffre and Andrew reached an out-of-court settlement after she accused him of sexual assault, though he admitted no wrongdoing. The BBC, CNN, and The Times of London all reported that Queen Elizabeth helped fund the payment privately, showing her continued support for her son during her lifetime.

But after her death later that year, Andrew’s position weakened further. With King Charles III now leading the monarchy and public support for the royal family slipping, surveys show it dropped from 86 percent in 1983 to around 54 percent today, the palace appeared determined to prevent his scandals from overshadowing the institution.

More Controversies Emerge

Beyond his Epstein ties, Prince Andrew has also been linked to separate controversies. Reports surfaced about his friendship with Yang Tengbo, a Chinese businessman later identified in court as being tied to Beijing’s United Front Work Department, which seeks to influence global politics. British courts released documents this year revealing “an unusual degree of trust” between the two men. Andrew said he cut contact once national security concerns were raised.

Meanwhile, British media have speculated about whether Andrew’s name might appear in additional Epstein estate files being reviewed by the U.S. House Oversight Committee, potentially exposing more information about their relationship.

The Palace and the Future

Although the palace insists that Friday’s decision was Andrew’s own, many analysts say it was likely influenced by growing frustration within the royal household. As CNN’s Kate Williams put it, “This is a signal that he’s out of the fold — we won’t see him at major events like King Charles’s 80th birthday.”

Some, however, argue that the move came too late. The British anti-monarchy group Republic called the step “too little, too late,” saying the monarchy’s slow response has already damaged its reputation.

Even without his titles, Andrew’s residence at Royal Lodge remains secure, thanks to a long-term tenancy agreement. Still, his public role is effectively over. Once a celebrated royal, the man once known as the Duke of York now faces a future defined by isolation and disgrace.

For the royal family, this decision may finally close one of its darkest and most embarrassing chapters. However, the shadow of Jeffrey Epstein and Virginia Giuffre will continue to loom over Prince Andrew for years to come.