The Queen has removed a number of military roles and royal titles held by Prince Andrew, Buckingham Palace said. The ruling, which includes banning the use of the title "Royal Highness", comes after an American judge gave the green light for Prince Andrew to face a civil lawsuit for sexual assault.
Buckingham Palace said in a statement Thursday: "With the approval and agreement of the Queen, the military affiliations of the Duke of York and royal patronage have been returned to the Queen. The Duke of York will continue to assume no public office and yes he defends this issue as a citizen ”.
Patronages refer to roles in charities, military and civilian groups that royal members support. More than 150 military veterans wrote to the queen asking her to remove Andrew from military roles.
In late 2019, Prince Andrew made headlines after first addressing fellowship with Jeffrey Epstein, the 66-year-old billionaire who was charged with multiple sex crimes and allegedly killed himself in a cell. Epstein was accused of sexually trafficking underage girls.
In December 2019, Virginia Giuffre, formerly Virginia Roberts, the girl allegedly sexually abused by Prince Andrew, gave an interview to Panorama TV. "She said she was brought to the UK when she was 17, specifically to have sex with the prince." Virginia Giuffre has sued Prince Andrew for sexual assault.
