Prince Andrew latest: Prince William will ‘banish Andrew from royal life and future coronation’

Key Points

• Prince Andrew to be banned from all royal life when Prince William is King
• Virginia Giuffre’s brother calls on King to 'take out the ‘prince’ in the Andrew'
• Downing Street denies PM asked King to act over Prince Andrew
• Prince Andrew’s life is in ruins and he has only himself to blame
• Watch: Virginia Giuffre's brother says decision to relinquish Prince Andrew's titles 'vindicates' her

Prince Andrew to be banned from all royal life when Prince William is King

Prince Andrew will be barred from Prince William’s coronation, Christmas at Sandringham and all other elements of royal life when he is crowned King, The Times reported.

Andrew will be forbidden to attend public and private royal events and most state occasions. Sarah Ferguson, his ex-wife, will also be barred.

The Times reported that Buckingham Palace said that while Prince William was “consulted” on the decision for his uncle’s titles to be relinquished, he was not content with the outcome.

The Prince of Wales is said to consider Andrew a “threat” to the monarch’s reputation and is worried about how his attendance at royal events could appear to sexual assault victims.

Princess Beatrice and Eugenie will continue to be welcomed at events.

Epstein accuser Giuffre had nightmares of ‘greedy men on top of her’ after abuse

Virginia Giuffre revealed in a posthumous memoir that she endured nightmares of “greedy, heaving men on top of me”, years after she said she was sexually exploited by Jeffrey Epstein and his affiliates.

Giuffre, who died by suicide in April, had alleged that she was the victim of sex trafficking and that Prince Andrew was among Epstein’s circle of connections.

In a new memoir to be released next week, she wrote that she was still haunted by trauma almost 20 years later, while in hospital with Covid, according to excerpts obtained by The Sun.

“All feelings of sadness and shame overtook me. I was sick of the nightmares; greedy, heaving men on top of me, men whose faces I recognized and would never forget. I felt hollowed out,” she wrote. Giuffre did not identify the men in the extracts published.

Read our full story below.

Prince Andrew: Timeline of all the royal’s scandals as he surrenders Duke of York title

Virginia Giuffre’s brother calls on King to 'take out the ‘prince’ in the Andrew'

The brother of sexual abuse accuser Virginia Giuffre has urged King Charles to strip Prince Andrew of his ‘prince’ title.

“We would call on the King to potentially go ahead and take out the ‘prince’ in the Andrew,” Sky Roberts told Newsnight on Friday.

“I think it’s so important for the world to know how much of a hero she was, but how much of the stone is still left unturned to some degree. This is just one step of many,” he says.

Mr Roberts said his sister, who committed suicide in April, would be "very proud" of the latest development regarding Andrew.

He said he would welcome any contact with the King.

Prince Andrew took flights on Epstein's private jet, documents show

Prince Andrew took additional flights on paedophile Jeffrey Epstein’s private jet four times, documents published just hours after Andrew announced he would stop using his titles show.

The flight logs reveal that Andrew flew from Luton to Edinburgh on 1 September 2006, with convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, as well as a flight on 12 May 2000, where he is named as travelling with Epstein, Maxwell, celebrity chef Adam Perry Lang, a bodyguard and three others.

Two further flights in 1999 also showed the name “Prince Andrew”, alongside royal protection officer Steve Burgess.

Downing Street denies PM asked King to act over Prince Andrew

The Independent’s political editor David Maddox reports:

Downing Street has issued a statement denying suggestions that Sir Keir Starmer asked the King Charles to take action over Prince Andrew.

Rumours had been circulating that the decision to strip the prince of his titles including the Duke of York, followed a conversation between the PM and monarch.

The two discuss state business almost weekly but there has been a firm denial that Prince Andrew was part of the conversation.

A Downing Street spokesperson said: "This story is entirely false. The Palace informed government of the intention to act. No pressure was applied in either direction."

There had been ongoing concerns over continued stories regarding the prince's historic friendship with financier and convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

Added to that a number of MPs had wished to raise the concerns in parliament about the issues surrounding demands the prince faces trial in the US over his alleged sexual relationship with the late Virginia Giuffre when she was under-age according to US law.

York MP welcomes Andrew's decision to rescind titles

A York MP welcomed Prince Andrew’s decision to give up his titles, and called for it to be removed altogether.

Rachael Maskell, independent MP for York Central, told the BBC: "We need to ensure that we close that chapter by ensuring in the future those titles can be removed."

Although Andrew is relinquishing his dukedom, he still technically retains it - and it can only be removed by an Act of Parliament.

'It was essential that Prince Andrew lost his titles'

Britain is still very much in need of a monarchy, and the purging of Prince Andrew will help it to continue its important role, says Anthony Seldon:

Andrew to step back from royal events

Andrew will no longer join the King and the rest of the royal family at Christmas at Sandringham, which prevents him from strolling to church on Christmas Day in full public view, greeting wellwishers.

He will also no longer act as a Royal Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter, meaning he will not be able to take part in the annual Garter service inside Windsor Castle each June, having previously been banned from the outdoor procession.

He will also not be able to wear the Garter robes he was seen in at Charles's coronation.

The first Duke to lose his titles in over 100 years, says historian

The last time a duke lost his title was more than 100 years ago, historian Anthony Seldon told BBC News.

Prince Charles Edward, a grandson of Queen Victoria, and the Duke of Albany, lost his title in 1919 for fighting for Germany during World War One.

He stayed in Germany and joined the Nazi Party before dying in 1954 aged 69.

Andrew remains 8th in line for the throne

After giving up his royal titles, Prince Andrew remains 8th in line for the throne.

Andrew says that he will no longer use his titles, like the Duke of York.

But as the son of the late queen, he remains a prince and therefore in the line of succession.

The line of succession before Andrew is as follows:

1. The Prince of Wales

2. Prince George of Wales

3. Princess Charlotte of Wales

4. Prince Louis of Wales

5. The Duke of Sussex

6. Prince Archie of Sussex

7. Princess Lilibet of Sussex

Why hasn't Andrew been stripped of his titles?

Prince Andrew voluntarily relinquished use of his titles with agreement from the King, he said on Friday.

He was not stripped of his titles, which would require an act of parliament. Rather, the titles are now not in use.

This avoids a potentially arduous task that could draw out the process and cause more trouble for the royals.

Andrew faces humiliation in giving up his titles, but can say he has done so “to put my duty to my family and the country first”.

Prince Andrew: Timeline of all the royal’s scandals as he surrenders Duke of York title

Widely purported to have been the late Queen’s “favourite” child, Prince Andrew has suffered a sharp fall from grace over the last decade.

Plagued by a string of controversies, the latest blow has seen new messages between the duke and Jeffrey Epstein come to light - sent months after Andrew claimed to have cut the disgraced financier off.

Here, The Independent takes a look at a timeline of Andrew’s fall from grace and his retreat from the public eye.

Watch: Virginia Giuffre's brother says decision to relinquish Prince Andrew's titles 'vindicates' her

Analysis: Prince Andrew's antics and scandals have tried royal patience, triggering headlines and suspicions

Prince Andrew’s antics have tried the patience of the royal family for more than 40 years, triggering embarrassing headlines, lawsuits and suspicions that the prince, now 65, was using his position for personal gain, writes Danica Kirka.

Here are some of the episodes that tarnished the reputation of the late Queen Elizabeth II’s second son and finally forced his older brother to banish him from public life.

Prince Andrew’s life is in ruins and he has only himself to blame

Andrew’s dealings with Jeffrey Epstein have done untold damage to countless lives – and the only surprise is that the former Duke of York’s demise has been so painfully slow, says Sean O'Grady:

One scandal too many forces UK monarchy to sideline Prince Andrew

After emails emerged this week showing that Prince Andrew remained in contact with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein longer than he previously admitted, the House of Windsor finally moved to insulate the monarchy from years of tawdry headlines about Andrew's dodgy friends and suspicious business deals:

Andrew expected to stay at Royal Lodge

Prince Andrew is expected to stay at the Royal Lodge in Windsor after the decision to renounce his titles, the BBC reports.

Andrew has his own private lease on the house lasting until 2078.

What has Andrew given up?

Prince Andrew’s decision on Friday was to give up his Duke of York title.

The prince, 65, will also give up the other titles conferred on him, including his Scottish title and Northern Irish title - the Earl of Inverness and the Baron of Killyleagh, respectively.

Andrew gave up the title “His Royal Highness” in 2022. But he is still a prince, as the son of the late queen.

His military titles were also returned to the Queen in 2022.

In 2019, he gave up his public royal duties.

Titles of Prince Andrew’s daughters Beatrice and Eugenie remain unaffected

Beatrice and Eugenie will be welcome to join the gathering at Sandringham for Christmas and other royal family events, it is understood.

Why now?

Prince Andrew’s decision to rescind his titles comes amid increased pressure over reports of his relationship with Epstein, and his reported relationship with an alleged Chinese spy.

Andrew only referred to “the continued accusations about me” and how they “distract” from the work of the Royals.

Excerpts from Virginia Giuffre’s posthumous memoir have been published ahead of its release on Tuesday, and allege that Andrew met and had sex with Giuffre. Giuffre was allegedly told she “had to do for Andrew what I do for Jeffrey”.

It emerged on Sunday that Prince Andrew had told Epstein “we are in this together” in 2011, after a picture of the royal with Giuffre was first published.

The Duke of York also reportedly told his paedophile friend “we'll play some more soon” in the email dated 28 February 2011.

Andrew “vigorously” denies all wrongdoing.

Separately, Andrew was said to have met a senior CCP figure three times in London and Beijing, according to The Telegraph.

Virginia Giuffre's co-writer to appear on Newsnight on Monday

Virginia Giuffre’s co-writer, Amy Wallace, will appear on Newsnight on Monday evening, the BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire said on X this morning.

Andrew 'met China spymaster at least three times'

Prince Andrew met a senior Beijing official at the heart of the China spy scandal at least three times, according to reports.

The Duke of York held meetings in 2018 and 2019 with Cai Qi, currently the first-ranked member of the Secretariat of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and de facto chief of staff to Xi Jinping.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) dropped charges against suspected spies Christopher Berry and Christopher Cash last month, citing a lack of evidence; both have denied any wrongdoing.

Prince Andrew's statement in full

Prince Andrew published a statement on Friday saying that he was giving up his titles, and stressing he denies all accusations against him:

“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.

“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.”

Who was Virginia Giuffre?

Virginia Giuffre was born in 1983 in California and grew up in Loxahatchee, Florida.

At the age of seven, she says she was abused by a family friend. She was later in and out of foster care, living on the streets by 14.

In the year 2000, she met British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell while getting back on her feet, working as a locker room attendant at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort.

She said Maxwell offered her an interview to train as a massage therapist and claimed the socialite gave her instructions on how to massage Epstein at his home in Palm Beach while he was naked.

Giuffre claimed that the job interview soon turned into years of abuse, both from Epstein and his associates.

In 2001, aged 17, she says she met Prince Andrew in London and was told she “had to do for Andrew what I do for Jeffrey”. Andrew said in 2019 he had no recollection of meeting Giuffre.

Giuffre ultimately left, married and moved to Australia to start a family in Perth. She founded a non-profit, Speak Out, Act, Reclaim, aimed at “education and advocating for victims of trafficking”.

Giuffre's family would welcome contact from Royal Family

Sky Roberts told Newsnight that he would “welcome any contact” from the Royal Family, asked if he had had any contact from Andrew, the Palace or the King.

What do we know about Virginia Giuffre’s memoir?

Virginia Giuffre’s posthumous memoir is due to be published on Tuesday, October 21.

Nobody’s Girl: A Memoir Of Surviving Abuse And Fighting For Justice is described by the publishers as “a remarkable recounting of one woman’s fortitude in the face of depravity and despair, and the legacy she leaves behind”.

Excerpts seen by The Sun and The Guardian reference Giuffre’s trauma years after she alleged abuse by Jeffrey Epstein and his circle.

The memoir calls Epstein a “master manipulator” and describes three instances in which she alleges Prince Andrew had sex with her.

Giuffre died at the age of 41, six months after completing the book, which is co-written with author Amy Wallace.

"Only the beginning", says Giuffre's sister-in-law

Virginia Giuffre’s sister-in-law said this is “only the beginning of what is to come” after Prince Andrew gave up his titles on Friday.

Speaking to Newsnight with Giuffre’s brother, Sky Roberts, Amanda said the story is far bigger than apparent, and that the family will be “relentless”.

Sky said that the work his sister “put in is now coming to some sort of justice”.

Is Andrew still a prince? His titles explained

Prince Andrew was given the prestigious title of the Duke of York, the highest rank in the British peerage, by his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II.

The Queen had a great personal affection for the title, which she gave to Andrew on the morning of his wedding.

It was a title once held by her father, King George VI, before he acceded the throne.

Prince Andrew told Jeffrey Epstein ‘we are in this together’ day after Virginia Giuffre photo emerged

Prince Andrew told Jeffrey Epstein “we are in this together” the day after the infamous photograph of him with Virginia Giuffre emerged, according to reports.

The Duke of York also reportedly told his paedophile friend “we'll play some more soon” in the email dated 28 February 2011 – three months after the date he told the BBC he had severed contact with the disgraced financier.

The message is reported to also cast doubt on another of the claims Andrew, 65, made in his infamous 2019 interview with Newsnight – that his meeting with Ms Giuffre “didn't happen”.

Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre suffered nightmares of ‘greedy men on top of her’ years after abuse, new memoir reveals

Virginia Giuffre revealed in a posthumous memoir that she endured nightmares of “greedy, heaving men on top of me”, years after she said she was sexually exploited by Jeffrey Epstein and his affiliates.

Giuffre, who died by suicide in April, had alleged that she was the victim of sex trafficking and that Prince Andrew was among Epstein’s circle of connections.

In a new memoir to be released next week, she wrote that she was still haunted by trauma almost 20 years later, while in hospital with Covid, according to excerpts obtained by The Sun.

Virginia Giuffre’s family celebrates after Prince Andrew drops royal titles

The family of Prince Andrew's late sexual abuse accuser, Virginia Giuffre, is celebrating the royal relinquishing his remaining titles amid continued fallout over his ties to the late sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein.

“This is not just a victory for her, but for every single survivor of the horrific crimes perpetrated by [Jeffrey] Epstein and his co-conspirators”, family members told The New York Post in a statement.

The family has called for Andrew, who has denied all wrongdoing, including Giuffre’s allegations, to lose his title of prince next.

Giuffre, who died by suicide earlier this year, was one of the first people to publicly call for charges against Epstein and has been an outspoken advocate for his alleged victims.

Watch: What did Virginia Giuffre say about royal titles?

What are the recpercussions on Andrew's family?

As well as no longer using the title of the Duke of York, a long-established title that was gifted to him by his mother Queen Elizabeth II at his wedding to Sarah Ferguson in 1986, Andrew will also give up other titles: Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order and Royal Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter.He will remain a prince, which he is entitled to since birth.

Andrew's ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, will also no longer use the title of Duchess of York. Their children, Beatrice and Eugenie, will remain princesses.

Andrew's chaotic marriage to Ferguson, widely known as Fergie, lasted a decade though the two remain close, living together in a 30-room mansion near Windsor Castle.

Ferguson herself has been embroiled in Epstein-related allegations.

Last month, a number of charities severed ties with her after British newspapers published an email that she reportedly wrote to Epstein, describing him as a "supreme friend".

Prince Andrew, The Duke of York arrives for the Requiem Mass service for the Duchess of Kent, at Westminster Cathedral (Getty Images)

What Epstein related allegations does Prince Andrew face?

News that Prince Andrew would be ditching his title came in the wake of the release of excerpts of an upcoming posthumous memoir from Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who alleged that she was trafficked by Epstein and had sex with Andrew when she was 17. The memoir is due to be published on Tuesday.

Giuffre died by suicide in April at the age of 41. In the memoir, she details alleged encounters with Prince Andrew, who she sued in 2021.

Andrew denied her claims and said he didn't recall having met her.

This is the latest fall from grace for the 65-year-old prince, who had already stepped down from public life in 2019 over his links to Epstein despite his denials of any wrongdoing.

Prince Andrew: All the royal titles the disgraced Duke of York has given up

Andrew and Sarah brought down by their friendship with Jeffrey Epstein

Virginia Giuffre’s family celebrates after Prince Andrew drops royal titles over alleged Epstein ties

The family of Prince Andrew's late sexual abuse accuser, Virginia Giuffre, is celebrating the royal relinquishing his remaining titles amid continued fallout over his ties to the late sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein.

“This is not just a victory for her, but for every single survivor of the horrific crimes perpetrated by [Jeffrey] Epstein and his co-conspirators”, family members told The New York Post in a statement.

The family has called for Andrew, who has denied all wrongdoing, including Giuffre’s allegations. to lose his title of prince next.

Josh Marcus reports:

Virginia Giuffre's family called for Duchess of York to be stripped of royal title in weeks before announcement

“As a Royal.. if you're not safeguarding the most vulnerable people in your community, why should you hold those positions of power?” Virginia Giuffre's sister-in-law, Amanda Roberts, told BBC Newsnight last month.

Her comments came after it emerged that Sarah Ferguson, the then-Duchess of York, had called sex offender Jeffrey Epstein a “supreme friend”.

A spokesperson for Ferguson told the BBC that the comment was written to counter Epstein's threat to sue for defamation, and that she regretted any association with him.

In case you missed it: King Charles forces disgraced Prince Andrew to give up Duke of York title

Prince Andrew has been forced to finally relinquish all his remaining titles – including the Duke of York – following another week of damaging scandal under pressure from his older brother, King Charles.

The prince is handing back all the remaining honours he clung onto despite being stripped of his HRH title and public duties by his mother, the late queen.

It comes just days before the publication of a memoir by Andrew’s late alleged victim, Virginia Giuffre, to whom he paid millions to settle a civil sexual assault case, and after revelations he had held three meetings with a senior Chinese Communist Party official at the heart of the China spy case scandal.

Alastair Jamieson and Bryony Gooch report:

Prince Andrew's full statement on dropping his titles

In a statement released by Buckingham Palace on Friday, Andrew said:

“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.

“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.”

Prince Andrew giving up his Duke of York title has been described as ‘a long time coming’ by one of the historic city’s councillors (Chris Jackson/PA) (PA Wire)

Several charities dropped Sarah Ferguson after leaked emails to Jeffrey Epstein

In the weeks before the announcement that Prince Andrew and his former wife Sarah Ferguson would drop their titles, the Duchess of York was dropped by several charities amid fallout from alleged links with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Seven charities dropped the Duchess of York as patron after leaked emails appeared to show her apologising to paedophile Epstein for disowning him.

Children’s hospice Julia’s House announced the move last month followed by food allergy charity The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, Prevent Breast Cancer, the Teenage Cancer Trust and the British Heart Foundation.

Both the National Foundation for Retired Service Animals (NFRSA) and The Children’s Literacy Charity have also reportedly dropped Sarah Ferguson, according to the BBC.