Prince Andrew: Duke hands back military titles and royal patronages to The Queen and will no longer use HRH

It comes after the Duke of York was told that a sexual assault claim made by Virginia Giuffre can be brought against him in a civil case
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Prince Andrew has handed his military affiliations and royal patronages back to The Queen after it was ruled that a civil sex abuse case could be brought against the royal.

The Prince will no longer hold any military titles, and will not make any public appearances on behalf of the Royal Family.

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The Duke of York will also no longer use the HRH styling in any capacity.

Prince Andrew has been stripped of his military titles, royal patronages and will no longer use HRH. (Credit: Getty)Prince Andrew has been stripped of his military titles, royal patronages and will no longer use HRH. (Credit: Getty)
Prince Andrew has been stripped of his military titles, royal patronages and will no longer use HRH. (Credit: Getty)

At a glance: 5 key points

  • Prince Andrew has been stripped of his military titles and royal patronages as a result of a the confirmation that a civil sex abuse case could be brought against him
  • The Duke of York will also relinquish any use of the HRH title, after he handed all back to The Queen
  • A New York court Judge ruled on Wednesday (12 January) that Prince Andrew could face a civil case against him after Virginia Giuffre accused the royal of sexually assaulting her when she was just 17-years-old
  • Prince Andrew and his lawyers had attempted to get Ms Giuffre’s lawsuit thrown out of court after she signed a 2009 deal with Jeffrey Epstein, however Judge Kaplan ruled that the case can still be heard
  • Despite maintaining his own innocence in the situation, The Palace has now confirmed that the Prince has lost the use of HRH title and has handed back his royal patronages and military titles

What did the Palace say?

In a statement released today (13 January) by the Palace, they said: “With the Queen’s approval and agreement, the Duke of York’s military affiliations and Royal patronages have been returned to the Queen.

“The Duke of York will continue not to undertake any public duties and is defending this case as a private citizen.”

A royal source further added that Prince Andrew will no longer use the HRH title.

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The move comes after pressure from the public and campaign groups to take action on the Duke, who is accused of sexually assaulting Ms Giuffre in 2001.

More than 150 veterans wrote a letter to The Queen, the head of the Armed Forces, demanding that Andrew be removed from his honorary military positions.

The roles which have been handed back to The Queen will be redistributed amongst the rest of the royal family.

What is Prince Andrew accused of?

The Duke suffered a blow when it was ruled that a claim of sexual assault from Ms Giuffre could be heard in a civil court, despite attempts by the Prince and his lawyers to block any such case being brought against him.

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Ms Giuffre has accused Andrew of sexual assault in 2001 when she was a minor at the age of 17.

She claims that she was trafficked to Prince Andrew by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who was noted to be a friend of the royal.

The Duke’s lawyers attempted to get Ms Giuffre’s case dismissed after they argued that a deal she signed with Epstein in 2009 prohibited any legal action being brought against himself, his former girlfriend and convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell and “any other person or entity who could have been included as a potential defendant”.

The royal’s lawyers argued that Prince Andrew would be protected by the deal as a “potential defendant”.

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However the judge ruled in the favour of Ms Giuffre’s lawyer, David Boies, who said that Andrew would be classed as a “third party” in relation to the deal, adding: “He was somebody to whom the girls were trafficked – that’s a different criteria.”

Prince Andrew has continuously claimed his innocence in the situation.

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