Prince Andrew announced he would be giving up his titles amid more revelations in the Epstein scandal – and it seems the King forced his younger brother’s hand after he “dug his heels in”
The King reportedly threatened Prince Andrew with formally stripping his titles after he “dug his heels in” before agreeing to give them up. Andrew announced he would give up and no longer use his Duke of York title or any of his other honours in a bombshell statement amid the growing scandal surrounding his association with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
As police probe new allegations of the Prince trying to ‘smear’ his accuser, Charles and Prince William moved to exile him further from the family. Met officers are looking into new claims that the disgraced royal asked a protection officer to ‘dig for dirt’ on Virginia Giuffre.
READ MORE: Prince Andrew ‘could not guarantee King there would be no more Epstein claims’READ MORE: Prince Andrew told to drop titles in 10-minute call with ‘weary’ King Charles
She made a series of accusations against him linked to his relationship with disgraced financier and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. Andrew has consistently denied the allegations against him. There are fears of worse to come from her posthumous memoir, due to be published on tomorrow.
And now the Daily Mail reports that before Andrew agreed to fall on his sword and give up his titles, the King “made it clear” he would take “further action” if his younger brother did not act.
It claims that Andrew had “dug his heels in” over the decision but it eventually became ‘intolerable’ for the monarch.
It is understood that last week, Andrew was summoned by the King to explain why further accusations of impropriety had emerged six years after his disastrous BBC Newsnight interview in which he had planned to clear his name.
Royal sources suggest Charles and the Prince of Wales were also left furious when Andrew was sensationally drawn into the heart of a collapsed China spy case embroiling the government.
A royal source said: “Andrew has been asked plainly what else was likely to emerge from his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, but said he could not give any guarantees. The scandal has engulfed the royal family for far too long forcing the King to intervene and effectively banish him from royal life.”
Andrew will no longer be known as the Duke of York and is stepping down from membership of the Order of the Garter, the ancient order of chivalry.
William was said to be in favour of a tougher line on his uncle and banning him from his future coronation and other official engagements.
When Andrew was born in 1960, he was automatically a prince as the son of a monarch. This could only be changed if a legal document authorised by the monarch was to be issued by the King.
Andrew is also alleged to have insisted Ms Giuffre sign a one-year gag order, to prevent details of her allegations tarnishing the late Queen’s platinum jubilee.
His infamous Newsnight interview was like an “injection of jet fuel” for her legal team, and reportedly raised the possibility of “subpoenaing” Andrew’s ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, and daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, for the legal case.
Andrew, living in the 30-bedroom Royal Lodge mansion, issued a statement last week in which he said he was giving up his Duke of York title and honours to prevent distracting from the work of the monarch and the royal family.
He has faced a series of scandals over recent years, including making an out-of-court settlement with Ms Giuffre in 2022, after she had brought a civil case against him.
