LONDON (AP) — British politicians, the general public and the household of Virginia Roberts Giuffre praised King Charles III’s determination to strip his brother Andrew of his princely title and spacious house, a banishment that has left the disgraced royal more and more uncovered to political and authorized scrutiny over his funds and his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.
The king acted to stem mounting public disapproval as extra damning particulars emerged about Andrew’s relationship with the convicted intercourse offender. Charles moved to protect the monarchy from the fallout by forcibly eradicating a British prince’s title for the primary time in a century.
Julian Payne, a former communications secretary to the king and queen, stated that, because the scandal round 65-year-old Andrew grew and grew, the royal household had determined that “a tipping level had been reached.”
The previous Prince Andrew is now often known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. As of Friday, he was not listed on the roll of the peerage, the place he had beforehand appeared as Duke of York, one other of his titles.
He additionally will transfer out of Royal Lodge, the 30-room mansion close to Windsor Fortress the place he has lived for greater than 20 years, and right into a extra distant house funded by his brother on the king’s Sandringham Property in jap England.
Politicians welcome transfer
The British authorities welcomed the king’s determination.
“We warmly, I warmly support what the king is doing today,” commerce minister Chris Bryant informed the BBC. “I think the vast majority of people in this country will think that it’s the right thing to do.”
Andrew surrendered his use of the title Duke of York earlier this month over new revelations about his friendship with Epstein and renewed sexual abuse allegations by Giuffre, whose posthumous memoir was printed final week. Andrew denies all her claims.
However the king went even additional to punish him for severe lapses of judgment by eradicating the title of prince that he has held since delivery as a toddler of a monarch, the late Queen Elizabeth II. Andrew additionally misplaced the designation “his royal highness,” making the previous prince successfully a commoner now.
“These censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him,” the palace stated. “Their Majesties wish to make clear that their thoughts and utmost sympathies have been, and will remain with, the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse.”
It’s nearly unprecedented for a British prince or princess to be stripped of that title. It final occurred in 1919, when Prince Ernest Augustus, who was a U.Ok. royal and in addition a prince of Hanover, had his British title eliminated for siding with Germany throughout World Struggle I.
Requires additional investigation
Giuffre’s household declared victory on behalf of Andrew’s accuser, who died by suicide in April on the age of 41. She stated that the early 2000s, when she was a young person, she was caught up in Epstein’s intercourse trafficking ring and exploited by Andrew and different influential males. Epstein was discovered useless in a New York Metropolis jail cell in 2019 in what investigators described as a suicide.
“Today, an ordinary American girl from an ordinary American family, brought down a British prince with her truth and extraordinary courage,” Giuffre’s household stated in an announcement.
Her brother Sky Roberts praised the king’s determination, however stated that Andrew ought to face additional investigation.
“We need to take it one more step further: he needs to be behind bars, period,” Roberts informed the BBC.
Bryant, the federal government minister, stated that Andrew was now an “ordinary member of the public,” and may go to the U.S. to reply questions on Epstein if requested.
“If Andrew is asked to do something by a Senate committee, then I would have thought that he would want to comply,” Bryant stated.
Andrew may face authorized bother in Britain, the place police are investigating a declare that he requested one in every of this police bodyguards to dig up filth on Giuffre.
A committee of U.Ok. lawmakers can be wanting into how Andrew paid for Royal Lodge, which he leased for a nominal annual payment — often known as a “ peppercorn rent.”
Andrew’s is essentially the most dramatic royal exit since 1936, when King Edward VIII abdicated the throne so he may marry twice-divorced American socialite Wallis Simpson. The couple got the titles Duke and Duchess of Windsor and lived the remainder of their lives in exile exterior Britain.
Prince Harry, regardless of renouncing his royal position, feuding together with his household and shifting to California, stays a prince and the Duke of Sussex.
Andrew confronted a brand new spherical of public outrage after emails emerged earlier this month exhibiting he had remained in touch with Epstein longer than he beforehand admitted.
That information was adopted by publication of “Nobody’s Girl,” by Giuffre, who alleged she had intercourse with Andrew when she was 17. The e-book detailed three alleged sexual encounters with Andrew, who she stated acted as if he believed “having sex with me was his birthright.”
Andrew has lengthy denied Giuffre’s claims, however stepped down from royal duties after a disastrous November 2019 BBC interview wherein he tried to rebut her allegations.
Andrew paid hundreds of thousands in an out-of-court settlement in 2022 after Giuffre filed a civil go well with in opposition to him in New York. Whereas he didn’t admit wrongdoing, he acknowledged Giuffre’s struggling as a sufferer of intercourse trafficking.
Peter Hunt, a former BBC royal correspondent, stated that the king and senior royals have been “fearful of remaining out of step with public opinion” as they “attempt to restore credibility and trust in an ancient institution.”
