Queen freezes out Andrew
Duke of York exiled from royal life as he loses all patronages, military roles and his HRH title
THE Duke of York was yesterday stripped of all military titles and patronages by the Queen and agreed no longer to use his HRH title, in an attempt to protect the Royal family from the fallout of his sexual abuse case.
The announcement was made after the Duke, 61, was summoned to Windsor Castle for a 45-minute meeting with his mother, amid increasing speculation that he will have to pay off his accuser, Virginia Roberts Giuffre.
However, the Duke insisted that he would continue to defend the civil case, related to his friendship with the billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, as a “private citizen”, declaring it a “marathon, not a sprint”.
The case will involve British witnesses being deposed by Ms Guiffre’s legal team, with speculation that the Duke’s former wife, Sarah, Duchess of York, and eldest daughter, Princess Beatrice, could be asked to give evidence.
It is understood that the Queen’s decision was taken following lengthy discussions with the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge.
Regardless of whether there is a trial or a settlement, the legal process is likely to be extremely embarrassing for the Royal family. It is thought this development is an attempt to shield the institution, and leaves no way back to a public role for the Queen’s second son, with all official ties severed, pushing him into a form of internal exile.
The move represents the second time in just two years that a senior member of the Royal family, born as an HRH, has been asked not to use the title in an official capacity, following the departures of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex from royal life. A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: “With the Queen’s approval and agreement, the Duke of York’s military affiliations and royal patronages have been returned to the Queen.
“The Duke of York will continue not to undertake any public duties and is defending this case as a private citizen.”
A royal source said all of the Duke’s roles had been handed back to the Queen with immediate effect for redistribution to other members of the Royal family. They will not be returned.
Prince Andrew will no longer use the style “His Royal Highness” in any official capacity. The announcement followed discussions among the Royal family about the Duke’s legal predicament and its impact on the monarchy.
The Duke is accused of raping or sexually assaulting Ms Giuffre on three occasions when she was 17, after she was trafficked by Epstein.
An attempt to have the case dismissed on a technicality was on Wednesday thwarted by a New York judge, leaving the Duke facing the prospect of a trial by jury. Judge Lewis Kaplan unequivocally rejected the Duke’s motion, handing down a 46-page ruling that contained a point-by-point rebuttal of his arguments.
A source close to the Duke said: “Given the robustness with which Judge Kaplan greeted our arguments, we are unsurprised by the ruling.
“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.”
The Duke had, until now, clung on to his honorary military titles, including the coveted Colonel of the Grenadier Guards, despite pressure from senior military figures.
As a former member of the Armed Forces, the Duke, who served in the Royal Navy and is a veteran of the Falklands, retains his current military rank of Vice-admiral.
He also remains ninth in line to the throne and as such is still a counsellor of state, a role undertaken by any spouse of the monarch and the next four adults in the line of succession, currently Prince Charles, Prince William, Prince Harry and Prince Andrew.
In the event that the Queen cannot undertake her official duties as sovereign on a temporary basis because of illness or absence abroad, two or more counsellors of state are appointed by letters patent to act in her place.
The Duke appeared expressionless as he was driven from his home, the Royal Lodge, to nearby Windsor Castle in a Range Rover at around 11.40am yesterday. Gary Bloxsome, his lawyer, was in the front passenger seat, but is not believed to have joined the Duke inside the castle.
Whether the Duke knew what the meeting would be about or thought the Queen wanted to discuss his legal options is not known. They returned to the Royal Lodge shortly before 1pm, four hours before the announcement was made by the Palace.
With his personal reputation now deemed beyond repair, the focus has shifted to ensuring that the Queen and the wider institution suffers no further
humiliation from the scandal, particularly in the run-up to the Platinum Jubilee. A letter signed by more than 150 Royal Navy, RAF and Army veterans was sent to Her Majesty just hours before the announcement was made, urging her to strip him of all ranks and titles within the Armed Forces.
However, the decision is understood to have been in the pipeline for several days as senior members of the family discussed how best to defend themselves from the legal case fallout.
Although the Duke indicated yesterday that he was prepared to face a civil trial by jury in order to clear his name, he is facing increasing pressure from palace aides to settle, The Telegraph understands.
Senior members of the family, as well as high-ranking courtiers, have warned that he cannot risk allowing it to progress any further, urging him to draw a line under proceedings. Ms Giuffre, 38, has sued the Duke for unspecified damages. He denies the claims and says he has no recollection of meeting her.
The legal situation is understood to remain “fluid”, with each side now heaping pressure on the other.
David Boies, Ms Giuffre’s feared and highly experienced counsel, “turned the screws” in an appearance on the BBC’S Newsnight, stating that she wanted the matter to be “resolved in a way that vindicates her and vindicates the other victims”.
He added: “A purely financial settlement is not anything that I think she is interested in.”
But for the Duke, any acceptance of liability is off the table.
Those close to him concede that such demands will therefore either “drive the price up or drive it to court”.
The latter, they also acknowledge, is an equally unpalatable option.