Prince Andrew gives up all royal titles
Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, has announced that he will give up all royal titles following a string of controversies.
In a statement published on Friday evening (17 October), Prince Andrew said that the decision was made so as not to distract from the good work being done by the rest of the royal family following recent allegations.
“In discussion with The King, and my immediate and wider family, we have concluded that 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,” he said.
Andrew has repeatedly been accused of having ties to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. In recent years, Andrew has also been criticised for his closeness to certain Chinese diplomats and a possible spy ring.
In the last few days, it emerged that Prince Andrew invited Cai Qi, the senior Chinese official at the centre of the Beijing spy case, into Buckingham Palace for lunch in 2018.
