Prince Andrew will give up the use of his royal titles, including the Duke of York, in light of ongoing scandals surrounding him, he announced Friday.
Andrew, the younger brother to King Charles III, is facing heightened scrutiny over his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Andrew has repeatedly denied all accusations stemming from his link to Epstein.
“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,” Andrew wrote in a personal statement.
His statement continued, “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.”
He added that he continues to “vigorously deny the accusations against me.”
Andrew will still be a prince, but relinquishes use of his title, the Duke of York, which was given to him by his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, per the BBC. This move means his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, will no longer be called the Duchess of York.
Both of their daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, will keep their titles.
In November 2019, Andrew stepped down from his role as a working royal for the “foreseeable future,” he said in a statement at the time. He noted that his entanglement in the Epstein scandal had become a “major disruption” to the royal family and its “valuable work.”
“I continue to unequivocally regret my ill-judged association with Jeffrey Epstein,” he added. “I deeply sympathise with everyone who has been affected and wants some form of closure. I can only hope that, in time, they will be able to rebuild their lives.”
Since stepping down, Andrew has made no public appearances other than a handful of family events, such as funerals and birthdays.
Prince Andrew has been sucked into several scandals over his ties to Epstein. Recently, a posthumous memoir from Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre alleges sexual interactions with Andrew while she was still a minor, per CBS News.
In a 2022 lawsuit, Andrew denied all allegations from Giuffre and they settled.
“Prince Andrew regrets his association with Epstein, and commends the bravery of Ms. Giuffre and other survivors in standing up for themselves and others,” one of the 2022 court documents said, per USA Today.
“He pledges to demonstrate his regret for his association with Epstein by supporting the fight against the evils of sex trafficking, and by supporting its victims.”