Prince Andrew Loses Military Titles, Right to Use ‘His Royal Highness’

The United Kingdom’s Prince Andrew lost his right to use certain perks that come with being a member of the British Royal Family.

In a statement Thursday, Buckingham Palace said that the 61-year old returned his military affiliations and royal patronages to Queen Elizabeth II.

RELATED: Prince Andrew Sued by Jeffrey Epstein Accuser Virginia Giuffre: ‘I was trafficked to him’

Prince Andres Loses Military Titles, Royal Patronages

The news of Prince Andrew’s demotion came at the time when the royal’s lawyers failed to convince a US judge to dismiss a civil suit against him. The Duke of York is currently facing charges of sexual abuse.

“With The Queen’s approval and agreement, The Duke of York's military affiliations and Royal patronages have been returned to The Queen,” the statement said. “The Duke of York will continue not to undertake any public duties and is defending this case as a private citizen,” it said.

The announcement meant that Andrew can no longer sport the prefix “His Royal Highness” in any official capacity.

Likewise, he cannot make claims to his many military titles. The prince earned some of these accolades when he personally joined some of the UK’s previous military activities.  

Prince Andrew Burned By Jeffrey Epstein Sex Scandal

The Duke of York, 61, stepped down from public duties nearly three years ago. His well-established connections with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein sullied his name badly. In addition, his attempts to clear his name during a BBC TV interview didn’t help much. 

Meanwhile, Virginia Giuffre, Andrew’s alleged victim, will proceed with her lawsuit against the prince. Giuffre was 17 years old when the sexual abuse incident started.

Now 38, she alleged that Epstein and Maxwell forced her to have sex with Andrew in the 1990s. The latter repeatedly denied the charges.

Lawyers for the Duke of York also submitted details of a legal settlement that gave Giuffre $500,000 from Epstein in exchange for dropping the case. However, the judge rejected the claims and allowed the trial to continue. 

Prince Andrew Will Continue to Defend Himself In a Private Capacity

Lawyers for the prince said they do not find the decision surprising. “However, it was not a judgment on the merits of Ms. Giuffre’s allegations.

This is a marathon, not a sprint and the Duke will continue to defend himself against these claims,” they added.

Watch the Inside Edition video reporting that the UK’s Royal Family Strips Prince Andrew of Titles Amid Sexual Assault Lawsuit:

What does it mean when the Royal Family stripped Prince Andrew of his titles and patronages?

• It means that the Royal family is beginning to cut off its ties to Andrew. They’ll probably cut more ties once the trial goes into full circus mode.
• It’s possible that the Royal family already knows the outcome of the trial based on public evidence. They’re cutting him off while it’s still early.
• It’s a distraction ploy to make the public more sympathetic to Andrew.
• Hopefully, it means that after this lawsuit, Andrew will need to get a job like everybody else.

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