Six years after his infamous BBC Newsnight interview—one meant to clear his name but that instead shadowed his legacy—Prince Andrew has officially relinquished his Duke of York title. The decision arrives on the heels of renewed scrutiny surrounding his connection to Jeffrey Epstein, and mere days before the release of Virginia Giuffre’s posthumous memoir, Nobody’s Girl.
In a statement shared earlier today, the 65-year-old royal confirmed that, in agreement with King Charles III and the wider royal family, he will forfeit the title bestowed upon him in 1986 as well as a number of honors he has held throughout his life. He will, however, retain the title of Prince granted at birth.
“The continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family,” Andrew said. “I have decided, as I always have, to put my duty to my family and country first.”
The announcement marks another turn in a years-long reckoning for both the prince and the institution he represents. While Andrew continues to deny all allegations of sexual abuse, including those detailed in Giuffre’s forthcoming book, the gesture signals a final severing from the public roles he once occupied—and a quiet attempt at restoration within a royal household still redefining its image in a post-Epstein era.
