King Charles reportedly threatened to have his brother, Prince Andrew, officially stripped of his royal title if he refused to give it up.
On Friday night (October 17), Andrew announced in a statement that he would give up his Duke of York title.
Scandal has surrounded Andrew, 65, for the last few years. He has faced scrutiny over his association with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Andrew was accused of sexual assault, allegations he has always vehemently denied. Virginia Giuffre alleged she was made to have sex with the prince in the early 2000s after being trafficked by Epstein.
Prince Andrew also faced headlines last week due to Ms Giuffre’s upcoming posthumous memoir, which she wrote before her tragic death. She took her own life in April. The book will publish this week, and will reportedly detail her alleged meetings with the prince.
King Charles’ ‘threat’ to Prince Andrew
Prince Andrew’s statement on Friday read: “In discussion with the king, and my immediate and wider family, we have concluded the continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the royal family. I have decided, as I always have, to put my duty to my family and country first. I stand by my decision five years ago to stand back from public life.”
He added: “With His Majesty’s agreement, we feel I must now go a step further. I will therefore no longer use my title or the honours which have been conferred upon me. As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me.”
According to the Daily Mail, the prince’s decision may have been triggered by a “threat” from his brother, King Charles.
For the king to officially strip Andrew of his Duke of York title himself would require involving Parliament, something the monarch was reportedly keen to avoid. However, the newspaper claims that King Charles made it clear privately to Andrew that he would not hesitate to take “further action” if his brother refused to give up his dukedom.
At last, for the wider good, Andrew saw sense.
A source reportedly claimed: “The thought of him still continuing to use the titles and honours that had been conferred upon him for another day, month or year while other options were explored and enactioned was intolerable, for the sake of the wider family. And at last, for the wider good, Andrew saw sense.”
Epstein email ‘tipping point’ for king
The source also apparently claimed that the recently unearthed email from 2011, in which Prince Andrew allegedly reassured Epstein they were “in this together”, was the final “tipping point” for King Charles.
“When the end came, it was relative quick, swift and ruthless,” the source reportedly said. “Andrew may not have been able to read the room, but the palace could.”
Andrew remains a prince as he was born with this title as the second son of Queen Elizabeth II. However, he no longer holds the title of Duke of York, which he has held since 1986.
Andrew has also given up membership of the Order of the Garter. He became a Knight of the Garter in 2006.
Buckingham Palace has been contacted for comment on this story.
Read more: Reason Prince Andrew ‘should fear the day Prince William becomes king’
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