Prince Andrew has made a shocking announcement.
On Friday (October 17), the 65-year-old younger brother of King Charles announced that he is voluntarily giving up all of his royal titles, including Duke of York.
“In discussion with The King, and my immediate and wider family, we have concluded the continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family,” Andrew shared in a statement, per BBC. “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.”
Keep reading to find out more…“With His Majesty’s agreement, we feel I must now go a step further,” he continued. “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.”
Along with giving up his title as Duke of York, Andrew has also given up the Order of the Garter.
The announcement comes a year after King Charles, 76, revoked Andrew‘s role as a working royal and reportedly cut his allowance and private security last year.
Andrew has faced a lot of scrutiny in recent years for his involvement with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. He has also faced a court case with the late Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of rape. His other scandals include questions about his finances and his involvement with an alleged Chinese spy.
Andrew‘s mother, the late Queen Elizabeth, previously stripped him of his military titles and charities in 2022.
According to BBC, Andrew‘s two daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie will retain their titles. However, his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson has also lost her title as Duchess of York.
It has also been confirmed that Andrew will not be spending Christmas with the Royal Family in Sandringham.
Andrew will remain a Prince, a title he has had since birth as the son of the Queen Elizabeth. He is also expected to stay at his Windsor home, Royal Lodge, on which he has his own private lease that runs until 2078.
Sarah Ferguson was just recently dropped as a patron of a children’s charity after an email she allegedly sent Epstein in 2011 came to light.