The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Duke ‘should pay for own security’
The Duke of York is facing calls to pay for his own security and lose his dukedom as the fallout from his civil sex case continues.
Criticism of Andrew is mounting after the Queen stripped him of his remaining patronages and honorary military roles as the monarchy distanced itself from the duke ahead of potentially damaging developments in his lawsuit.
Graham Smith, chief executive officer of the organisation Republic, called on the Queen’s second son to foot the bill for his police protection as there was no prospect of him returning to royal duties.
During a radio interview, security minister Damian Hinds refused to confirm whether the duke will still receive taxpayer-funded security.
Rachael Maskell, Labour MP for York Central, tweeted it was “untenable” for Andrew to cling on to his title “another day longer” and Darryl Smalley, a senior member of City of York Council, launched a campaign to strip Andrew of his dukedom.
Andrew also holds the titles of Colonel of the Royal Highland Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland and Honorary Air Commodore,
Royal Air Force Lossiemouth, where he also has a patronage, along with Inverness Golf Club and Royal British Legion Scotland, Inverness branch.
Mr Smith, whose organisation campaigns for an elected head of state, said about the royal family: “Why should we be paying for their security? The job of the monarchy is to give us one head of state – we don’t need to be giving security to all of them.
“Lots of celebrities and other high-profile people pay for their own security.
“Given that he’s no longer in any real sense a member of the royal household, it does make sense he pays for his own security.”
Andrew’s dramatic fall in the standing of the royal family came after Virginia Giuffre’s lawsuit against him took a major step forward on Wednesday when a judge threw out a motion by the duke’s lawyers to dismiss the sexual assault case and ruled it can go to trial.
She is suing the duke in the US for allegedly sexually assaulting her when she was a teenager, and claims she was trafficked by Andrew’s friend, convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, to have sex with the duke when she was 17 and a minor under US law.
The duke has strenuously denied the allegations.