Prince Andrew stripped of military titles and HRH after sexual assault case brought to trial

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The Queen has stripped Prince Andrew of his military titles and royal patronage after a US judge allowed a civil sexual abuse case involving her son to go to trial.

The Duke of York will now defend the cause Buckingham Palace has declared a “special citizen”, while it is believed he will not be called HRH in any official capacity.

On another highly pernicious day, courtiers sought to stop the reputational damage to the monarchy by removing the Duke from official royal life while alienating him from the wider family.

In a statement, the palace said: “With the Queen’s assent and consent, the Duke of York’s military affiliations and royal patronage have been returned to the Queen.

“The Duke of York will continue to perform no public duties and will defend this cause as a private citizen.”

Follow live updates of Virginia Joffrey’s lawsuit against Prince Andrew here

The Duke’s current roles – including Colonel of the Grenadier Guards, one of the oldest regiments in the British Army – will be handed over to other members of the royal family, with details of the new arrangement yet to be announced.

It is understood that the decision on Andrew came after discussions between members of the Windsor family, suggesting that senior members of the royal family may have been involved.

His other military titles include an honorary airman of the Royal Air Force Lossiemouth; Colonel-General of the Royal Irish Regiment; Colonel-General of the Corps of Small Arms Schools; brigadier general of the air force of the fleet; Royal Colonel of the Royal Highland Fusiliers; Deputy Colonel-General of the Chief of The Royal Lancers (King of Queen Elizabeth); The Royal Colonel of the Royal Scottish Regiment.

Virginia Geoffrey Andrew is suing in the United States for sexual assault as a teenager.

She claims that she was trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein who was convicted of having sex with Andrew when she was 17 years old and a minor under US law. Andrew denies all these allegations.

The judge’s decision to allow the trial means Andrew will be forced to testify in a trial in the United States, beginning as soon as September, if no settlement is reached.

Ms. Giuffre was photographed with Andrew and his girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell during the time the alleged intercourse occurred.

Lawyers for Maxwell, who was convicted last month of luring vulnerable teens onto Epstein’s various properties for sexual abuse, said they are no longer fighting to withhold information — including eight names named in a 2015 civil case — from Joffrey’s lawsuit. .

Meanwhile, Giuffre’s attorney, David Boyce, has indicated his client is not interested in a “purely financial settlement” with Andrew, suggesting the prince could be drawn into a potentially embarrassing legal battle to clear his name.

“I think what’s going to be important is that this decision justifies her and justifies the claim she made,” Boyes told the BBC, adding: “A purely financial settlement is not something I think she is interested in.”

The lawyer also raised the possibility of other members of the royal family being called to testify, including Meghan Markle, Prince Charles and Andrew’s ex-wife Sarah Ferguson.

Earlier on Thursday, more than 150 veterans from the Royal Navy, Royal Air Force and Army signed an open letter calling on the Queen to strip Andrew of his honorary military roles.

A group of former military and women said they were “dismayed and angry” that he remained a member of the armed forces and continued to hold military titles, positions and ranks, including that of Vice-Admiral of the Royal Navy.

“If this were any other senior military officer,” they said, “it is unreasonable for him to remain in office.”

As commander in chief, honorary military appointments are given by the Queen.

In response to the decision to strip Andrew of the publications, one of the signatories to the open letter said: “I am glad he is not associated with the military now.”

Lieutenant Stuart Hunt, who served in the 1st Royal Tank Regiment, said it was a “distasteful act” and claimed the Duke had discredited the armed forces.

The move to strip Andrew of his titles is the second time in several years that a senior family member has lost valuable military positions.

In January 2020, the Queen’s grandson Prince Harry and his wife Meghan announced that they had retired from their royal duties and had been stripped of all of their care as well as the titles ‘His Royal Highness and Her Royal Highness’.

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