Prince Andrew renounced his titles on Friday after the heavy backlash amid the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.
However, the title of Duke of York is still in affect.
The father-of-two released a statement on October 17 acknowledging the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, Virginia Giuffre’s sexual abuse allegations and the Chinese spy scandal, accepting that they were taking attention away from the royal family’s work.
In the statement he said “I will therefore no longer use my title or the honours which have been conferred upon me”.
Broadcaster and historian Rafe Heydel-Mankoo has pointed out an interesting element of this decision.
While Andrew has renounced his titles, only the Parliament can actually strip him of them.
“Prince Andrew has not been formally stripped of his titles. Legally, he remains HRH The Prince Andrew, Duke of York, Earl of Inverness, Baron Killyleagh, KG, GCVO.”, Rafe wrote on X.
The decision was taken after discussion with King Charles ahead of the launch of Virginia Giuffre’s posthumous autobiography.
In December 2014, Virginia described being trafficked to the Duke of York, at least three times and in her memoir she recounts the incidents in her words.
