In case you missed it: King Charles forces disgraced Prince Andrew to give up Duke of York title
The prince is handing back all the remaining honours he clung onto despite being stripped of his HRH title and public duties by his mother, the late queen.
It comes just days before the publication of a memoir by Andrew’s late alleged victim, Virginia Giuffre, to whom he paid millions to settle a civil sexual assault case, and after revelations he had held three meetings with a senior Chinese Communist Party official at the heart of the China spy case scandal.
Alastair Jamieson and Bryony Gooch report:
Maira Butt18 October 2025 01:00
Prince Andrew’s full statement on dropping his titles
In a statement released by Buckingham Palace on Friday, Andrew said:
“In discussion with The King, and my immediate and wider family, we have concluded the continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family. I have decided, as I always have, to put my duty to my family and country first. I stand by my decision five years ago to stand back from public life.
“With His Majesty’s agreement, we feel I must now go a step further. I will therefore no longer use my title or the honours which have been conferred upon me. As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me.”
Prince Andrew giving up his Duke of York title has been described as ‘a long time coming’ by one of the historic city’s councillors (Chris Jackson/PA) (PA Wire)
Maira Butt18 October 2025 00:30
Several charities dropped Sarah Ferguson after leaked emails to Jeffrey Epstein
In the weeks before the announcement that Prince Andrew and his former wife Sarah Ferguson would drop their titles, the Duchess of York was dropped by several charities amid fallout from alleged links with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Children’s hospice Julia’s House announced the move last month followed by food allergy charity The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, Prevent Breast Cancer, the Teenage Cancer Trust and the British Heart Foundation.
Both the National Foundation for Retired Service Animals (NFRSA) and The Children’s Literacy Charity have also reportedly dropped Sarah Ferguson, according to the BBC.
Maira Butt18 October 2025 00:05
The fresh series of scandals that have led to Prince Andrew’s relinquishment of titles
The announcement that Prince Andrew is giving up the use of his titles and honours comes days before Virginia Guiffre’s memoir, detailing allegations of sexual abuse against Andrew, is set to be released.
This week, Prince Andrew has made headlines for a series of scandals, including new revelations of his relationship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, whom it was revealed he sent an email to three months after the date he said he had severed contact.
In the email, he told the paedophile, “we are in this together”, and “we’ll play some more soon”.
It was also recently revealed that Andrew met a senior Chinese Communist Party official at the heart of the China spy scandal, at least three times in 2018 and 2019.
An extract of Virginia Giuffre’s memoir was also published on Wednesday, detailing the allegations of sexual abuse against the prince.
She claimed that Andrew believed having sex with her was “his birthright.”
Maira Butt17 October 2025 23:45
Virginia Giuffre’s brother calls on King to ‘take out the ‘prince’ in the Andrew’
Virginia Giuffre’s brother, Sky Roberts, said he would welcome any contact with the King.
“We would call on the King to potentially go ahead and take out the ‘prince’ in the Andrew,” he told Newsnight.
“I think it’s so important for the world to know how much of a hero she was, but how much of the stone is still left unturned to some degree. This is just one step of many,” he says.
“We have shed a lot of happy and sad tears today. I think happy because in a lot of ways this vindicates Virginia.”
Harriette Boucher17 October 2025 23:37
Giving up his titles not really Andrew’s choice, says royal expert
Robert Hardman, who wrote a biography about King Charles, has said that Prince Andrew giving up his titles was not really his choice and due to the various scandals he was engulfed in.
He told BBC News: “Things are simply not going away.
“And I think the palace has decided, and Prince Andrew has agreed, that there really has to be a further separation.
“He wants to look as if he’s proactive and try and regain some dignity out of this.”
Mr Hardman added that although Andrew won’t use the titles, he hasn’t been stripped of them.
Maira Butt17 October 2025 23:30
‘My message to King Charles would be bravo’, says Epstein survivor
Haley Robson, a survivor of Jeffrey Epstein, has thanked the King for “standing up to the system and to the abusers” and would encourage him to give Donald Trump a call.
“Thank you for putting your people first and making the people a priority. Thank you for doing what is long awaited, what is appropriate, and for acting and doing the right thing. If you would like to give Trump a phone call, I encourage that,” she told Newsnight.
“This is why King Charles is king, he is showing the world, including America, what it looks like to have somebody held accountable.”
Harriette Boucher17 October 2025 23:29
Virginia Giuffre’s family call for the release of all Epstein files
Virginia Giuffre’s sister-in-law, Amanda Roberts, has called for the US justice department to release all documents relating to Epstein.
Speaking on Newsnight, she said only 1 per cent of the documents relating to Epstein had been released.
“This country is in possession to the key to not only further incriminating Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, but taking down all the enablers.”
“It’s so important, that is the justice that we are looking for. That is the justice Virginia wanted and we will non stop until that happens.”
Prince Andrew giving up his title is just “a small slither” of the justice, she says.
Sky Roberts, Giuffre’s brother, said there is more people that need to be held to account, further than Prince Andrew.
Prince Andrew has denied all allegations.
Harriette Boucher17 October 2025 23:17
Prince Andrew remains 8th in line to the throne
Andrew has stopped using his remaining titles and honours, including the Duke of York, but he will remain a prince.
As the son of the late Queen Elizabeth he is still 8th in line to the throne.
The King’s brother will retain the dukedom, which can only be removed by an Act of Parliament but he will not use the title.
He will also give up his knighthood as a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO) and his Garter role as a Royal Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter.
The honours will both remain in existence but will not be used.
Maira Butt17 October 2025 23:15
Andrew’s downfall ‘a joyous moment’ for survivors, says Giuffre’s brother
Speaking on Newsnight, Sky Roberts, Virginia Giuffre’s brother, said he had been talking to Epstein survivors all day.
“It’s just a joyous moment for them, because we’re finally getting some sense of acknowledgement that this actually happened, what we’re saying is the truth.”
Mr Roberts said some of the pressure Prince Andrew faced would have come from Giuffre’s soon-to-be released memoir, which lays out new details of allegations of sexual abuse against Prince Andrew.
“I want to be clear, she’s with us right now. She’s smiling. She would be very proud of her survivor sisters.”
Amanda Roberts, Giuffre’s sister-in-law, said: “This is only the beginning of what is to come.”
Harriette Boucher17 October 2025 23:04