Royal family: Queen strips Prince Andrew of royal title and military honours
Prince Andrew’s royal title has been removed meaning huge implications for his upcoming sexual abuse trial, as his alleged victim’s lawyer weighed in.
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Prince Andrew has been stripped of his royal title and military honours after a royal showdown with his mother, the Queen.
The bombshell news was announced by Buckingham Palace and came amid the Duke of York’s sexual assault lawsuit.
The Queen removed Prince Andrew’s his military affiliations and royal patronages effective immediately, after he was accused of sexually assaulting Australian-based woman Virginia Roberts Giuffre when she was 17-years-old.
Prince Andrew will also no longer be able to use “His Royal Highness” and will face his US lawsuit as a “private citizen”, meaning he can’t hide behind royal privileges.
A statement from Buckingham Palace regarding The Duke of York: pic.twitter.com/OCeSqzCP38
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) January 13, 2022
The Queen’s move came after a judge sensationally gave the go-ahead for a civil trial before a jury in New York, expected to happen later this year. Prince Andrew, 61, vehemently denies the allegations.
In a statement, Buckingham Palace said: “With The Queen’s approval and agreement, The Duke of York’s military affiliations and Royal patronages have been returned to The Queen.”
It continued: “The Duke of York will continue not to undertake any public duties and is defending this case as a private citizen”.
Queen Elizabeth confirmed the bombshell news publicly, after informing Prince Andrew of her decision during a face-to-face meeting.
The only other royal to lose his royal title and patronages recently was Prince Harry, who relinquished them when he moved to the US with Meghan Markle under “Megxit”.
A source claimed the decision to strip Prince Andrew of his military titles was “widely discussed among the royal family”.
It came as Ms Roberts Giuffre’s lawyer said it was unlikely she would accept a “purely financial settlement” to end the civil lawsuit.
“I think it’s very important to Virginia Giuffre that this matter be resolved in a way that vindicates her and vindicates the other victims,” Ms Roberts Giuffre’s lawyer, David Boies, told the BBC, per The Guardian.
“I don’t think that she has a firm view at this point, nor could she, as to exactly what the resolution should be,” he said.
“But I think what’s going to be important is that this resolution vindicates her and vindicates the claim she’s made.
Mr Boies said there “was no interest” in mediation, despite a past request.
“Whether that has changed or not, I think we’ll have to wait and see,” Mr Boies said.
“A purely financial settlement is not anything that I think she’s (Ms Roberts Giuffre) is interested in.”
In the future, Prince Andrew’s titles will be redistributed to other family members, a source said. Andrew will also lose his formal royal title, meaning he can no longer refer to himself as “His Royal Highness.”
An insider close to the Duke of York told The Sun he would continue to defend himself against the allegations made in the lawsuit.
“Given the robustness with which Judge Kaplan greeted our arguments, we are unsurprised by the ruling,” the source said.
“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.”
Prince Andrew stepped down from public duties in 2019 amid fury at his friendship with the late Jeffrey Epstein.
‘LEAST WORST OPTION’
$18 million from the sale of Prince Andrew’s Swiss chalet could be used in a potential out-of-court settlement with accuser Ms Roberts Giuffre.
Legal experts have alleged it is Prince Andrew’s “least worst option” after a US judge ruled sex abuse claims by the royal’s Australian-based accuser should be heard in court, per The Sun.
If the case does go to trial, Prince Andrew faces being cross-examined on camera by one of America’s most dogged trial lawyers, with embarrassing questions on everything from his sex life and “private parts” to what he has told the Queen.
The royal could also be forced to hand over text messages, phone records, and medical information.
David Boies, Virginia Roberts Giuffre’s 80-year-old New York lawyer, is seen as the “greatest deposition-taker” in modern American justice, and could quiz the royal for a gruelling seven hours, excluding breaks, all under oath with the threat of perjury if he is found to have lied.
Outspoken British media personality Piers Morgan mocked the prince joking “he’s probably discovered he can sweat”.
The prince, who has disappeared from public life, was seen being driven by bodyguards near his Windsor home on Thursday, local time.
Prince Andrew is reportedly prepared to do “whatever is necessary” to stop his trial from overshadowing the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
Ms Roberts Giuffre’s lawyer previously told The Sun a “settlement is always a possibility”, as legal experts said it was his “least worst option”.
Senior royal aides are said to be urging Prince Andrew to settle as soon as possible to prevent him dragging the “whole monarchy through the mud”. His $3700-an-hour legal team were reportedly locked in talks amid the “biggest constitutional crisis in living memory”.
The key could be his chalet in Verbier, Switzerland. The Queen is rumoured to be bankrolling his case but it would be considered a PR disaster if she paid an alleged sex abuse victim to end claims against her son.
“I think Virginia is determined to go to trial, but settlement is always a possibility,” Mr Boies told The Sun.
The decision by the US court means Prince Andrew will be expected to give a sworn witness statement answering Ms Roberts Giuffre’s claims.
He will also be asked to provide potentially damaging disclosure.
Sworn statements from ex-wife Sarah Ferguson and daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie are a possibility.
A full civil trial with a jury could see Prince Andrew cross-examined about his sex life, links to Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell and asked exactly what he did to his accuser.
Prince Andrew and his lawyers had prepared two statements ready to be sent out after the decision but, in a further sign that a settlement offer may be imminent, neither were immediately forthcoming.
Prince Andrew has denied the allegations and sources told The Sun he is determined to clear his name.
His lawyers have previously claimed a financial offer has not been discussed but accepted more than 95 per cent of US civil trials are settled out of court.
Mark Stephens, an expert in constitutional law, told The Sun: “This has dropped a bomb on the royal family. It is the most serious problem in living memory.
“The only thing to make it worse would be if he were cross-examined over what he did or didn’t do to a 17-year-old woman. He has to settle now. It is his least worst option. He would be lampooned by Ms Roberts Giuffre’s lawyer in court.
“Someone in the royal family must grab the tiller and guide this to a safe shore.
“The Queen will be taking advice from Downing Street, Privy Councillors and her trusted aides.
“There is a need to limit the damage. Andrew, I suspect will be stripped of his royal titles. A settlement of five or ten million is a good bet but Ms Roberts Giuffre may want her day in court.”
Buckingham Palace has distanced itself from Prince Andrew. A spokesman for the Queen said they would not comment on an ongoing legal matter.
Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine, said: “For the sake of his mother Andrew has to settle. The last thing his lawyers want is Andrew saying anything because he is a verbal disaster.”
Nigel Cawthorne, author of Prince Andrew: Epstein, Maxwell and the Palace, said: “It’s the final nail in the coffin of Andrew’s reputation. If a settlement was made then the taxpayer would be right in asking where the money is coming from.”
Wednesday’s 46-page ruling by Judge Lewis Kaplan sets the New York trial for some time between September and November.
Although he cannot force Prince Andrew to attend he would be expected to provide statements and potentially be questioned by videolink.
Ms Roberts Giuffre has claimed paedophile Epstein, who died in jail in 2019, trafficked her for sex with powerful men.
Mr Boies added: “Virginia is very pleased that her claims will now be determined judicially.
“It’s been a long road but we’re nearing the end. We will seek to depose between ten to 12 people.”
Asked if they would include Sarah Ferguson, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, Mr Boies said: “That’s possible.”
He said he expected Prince Andrew’s deposition to take place in February.
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