Britain’s Prince Andrew Loses Royal Title Over Sex Abuse Allegations
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
LONDON (Worthy News) – Britain’s Prince Andrew, who has come under pressure over his alleged involvement in sexual abuse of one or more girls, loses his military titles and patronages and will no longer be called His Royal Highness, Buckingham Palace confirmed Thursday.
His roles will now be distributed among members of the Royal Family, the Palace explained.
Ahead of the announcement, more than 150 military veterans signed an open letter calling for Queen Elizabeth to strip her son Prince Andrew of the titles.
They condemned Andrew’s relationship with disgraced late U.S. financier Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender who died in jail while facing more charges over allegedly abusing minors.
The call to take away Andrew’s titles came after his lawyers failed to persuade a U.S. judge to dismiss Virginia Giuffre’s civil lawsuit against him. She accuses the royal of sexually abusing her when she was 17. Andrew, who has denied the charges, will now defend himself as a private citizen.
In their letter to Britain’s 95-year-old monarch, the veterans had asked her to take immediate action because Andrew, the Duke of York, had been “uncooperative and less than truthful” about his relationship with Epstein.
They said the 61-year-old Andrew had brought the armed services he represented into disrepute.
“We are particularly upset and angry that Prince Andrew remains a member of the armed forces and continues to hold military titles, positions, and ranks, including that of Vice-Admiral of the Royal Navy,” the letter said.
The latest controversy surrounding Andrew comes just weeks after former British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted of recruiting and grooming teenage girls for sexual encounters with late financier Epstein between 1994 and 2004.
Maxwell, 60, faces up to 65 years in prison for her conviction meaning that she would likely spend the rest of her life behind bars. Her lawyers asked for a retrial after one of the jurors told media he had been a victim of sexual abuse.
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