No Longer 'His Royal Highness,' Prince Andrew To Forego Military Titles, Face Sex Trafficking Accuser In Court As 'Private Citizen'

Prince Andrew, Queen Elizabeth II’s second son, will have to forego his military titles and not be addressed as His Royal Highness any longer.

What Happened: Prince Andrew faces a civil action in the United States over allegations of sexual assault involving a teenager trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein.

The announcement regarding The Duke of York was made by Buckingham Palace on Thursday.

“With The Queen's approval and agreement, The Duke of York’s military affiliations and Royal patronages have been returned to The Queen,” the palace statement read. 

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

Why It Matters: In August, Virginia Giuffre, 38, sued the 61-year British royal in a New York court, alleging that she was “lent out” at age 17 by disgraced financier Epstein. 

Giuffre alleged that she was abused by the now-dead Epstein and was lent out by him to other powerful men for sexual purposes.

Prince Andrew refuted Giuffre’s accusations in a November 2019 interview and said he had no recollection of ever meeting her.

The Palace’s decision implies that Prince Andrew will now face Giuffre alone — without the benefit of the honors and royal backing, reported the Washington Post.

Andrew remains a duke and a prince even though he will not be able to use the HRH title and his many patronages will be distributed among other members of the House of Windsor, according to the post.

Read Next: Bill Gates Admits Meeting Jeffrey Epstein 'Was A Huge Mistake'

Photo: Courtesy of Thorne1983 via Wikimedia