Britain’s royals and government are under pressure to formally strip Prince Andrew of his titles

He will no longer call himself a duke, but that’s not enough for Prince Andrew’s many critics.

Buckingham Palace and the British government were under pressure on Monday to formally strip Prince Andrew of his royal title and palatial home following new revelations about his relationship with a convicted sex offender. Jeffrey Epstein,

After discussing with his elder brother Raja Charles IIIAndrew agreed on Friday to stop using other titles, including Duke of York. It was the latest effort to salvage the monarchy from years of intense headlines about Andrew’s shady business deals, inappropriate behavior and controversial friendships.

But technically he still has the title of Duke, which was given to him by his late mother, the Queen Elizabeth IIAnd as the son of a king, he remains a prince.

Andrew’s statement about renouncing some of his royal titles comes after emails emerged showing he had been in contact with Epstein for a longer period of time than previously acknowledged, and days before the publication of the Epstein accuser’s posthumous memoir. Virginia Roberts GiuffreWho alleged that she had sexual relations with Andrew when she was 17 years old.

Giuffre’s brother Sky Roberts urged the king to go further and “remove the prince’s title as well.

“He shouldn’t be able to call himself that,” Roberts told The Times. London Newspaper.

civil case

Andrew, 65, has long denied Giuffre’s claims, but stepped down from royal duties in November 2019 following a disastrous BBC interview in which he attempted to refute her allegations.

Many viewers saw an entitled prince who failed to show empathy for Epstein’s victims and offered unbelievable explanations for his friendship with the late sex offender.

Andrew paid millions in an out-of-court settlement in 2022 after Giuffre filed a civil suit against him in New York.

Although he did not admit wrongdoing, he acknowledged Giuffre’s suffering as a victim of sex trafficking.

‘Angry and shocked’

Some opposition politicians said Andrew should be formally stripped of his dukedom through an Act of Parliament.

Scottish National Party lawmaker Stephen Flynn said the government should use the law to remove titles from both House of Lords member Andrew and Peter Mandelson, who was removed as British ambassador to Washington in September because of his past friendship with Epstein.

“The family of Virginia Giuffre, whose life was destroyed, is angry and shocked,” Flynn said. “The public across these islands are angry and shocked and they both deserve to know that some (members of Parliament) share their outrage.”

The government said it supports the palace’s decision on Andrew’s titles but should not take unilateral action. Under Britain’s constitutional monarchy, the Crown does not interfere in politics and politicians stay away from issues related to the royal family.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson told the BBC, “Our thoughts are with Jeffrey Epstein’s victims who have suffered and are suffering because of the abuse they suffered at his hands, but these are matters for the royal family.”

Some also want Andrew to be evicted from Royal Lodge, the 30-room mansion near Windsor Castle where he lives with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, who will no longer be known as the Duchess of York.

Questions have been raised about how Andrew pays for the house, which he rents on a long lease from the Crown Estate, a portfolio of properties that are nominally owned but not controlled by the monarch.

Royals ready for more revelations

The palace is preparing for more embarrassing revelations, as the king prepares for a state visit to the Vatican this week where he is to pray with Pope Leo XIV.

Giuffre’s book, “Nobody’s Girl,” is published Tuesday and details three alleged sexual encounters with Andrew. He died by suicide in April at the age of 41.

In a previously published quote, Giuffre says the prince behaved as if he believed “it was his birthright to have sex with me.”

Giuffre also claims in the book that Andrew’s team “tried to hire Internet trolls to harass me.” He said Andrew insisted that the settlement of the lawsuit include a one-year gag order to prevent the allegations from spoiling the late queen’s platinum jubilee in 2022.

Meanwhile, London’s Metropolitan Police force says it is “actively looking into” media reports that in 2011 Andrew sought information from one of his police bodyguards to discredit Giuffre to find out if he had any criminal records.