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On Friday evening, Buckingham Palace released a statement from Prince Andrew. ‘I have decided, as I always have, to put my duty to my family and country first,’ it read. ‘I will therefore no longer use my title or the honours which have been conferred upon me.’
It seemed that Prince Andrew was voluntarily giving up his titles such as the Duke of York, the Knight of the Garter, or calling himself the Earl of Inverness – but perhaps his hand had been forced by the palace, or by his older brother King Charles.
For it had come after a torrid few days for Prince Andrew. On Wednesday, the Guardian published an extract from the memoir of his accuser Virginia Giuffre – released posthumously – including a detailed account of his alleged abuse of her and other girls. He denies any wrongdoing.
Then, over the weekend, further stories emerged in the press about Prince Andrew’s relationship with the sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
So where does all this leave Prince Andrew? And what does it say about the royal family, who supported him for so long?
