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Prince Andrew has been stripped of his military and royal titles after a judge ruled a sexual abuse civil lawsuit against the Queen’s son could proceed.
Andrew is still facing a legal battle with the late Jeffrey Epstein’s accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre.
Buckingham Palace announced that Andrew will no longer use the title “His Royal Highness” in any official capacity.
“With The Queen’s approval and agreement, The Duke of York’s military affiliations and Royal patronages have been returned to The Queen,” the statement read. “The Duke of York will continue not to undertake any public duties and is defending this case as a private citizen.”
A statement from Buckingham Palace regarding The Duke of York: pic.twitter.com/OCeSqzCP38
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) January 13, 2022
On Wednesday, a judge refused to dismiss a lawsuit against Andrews by Giuffre, an American woman who said the prince sexually abused her when she was 17.
“U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan rejected an argument by Andrew’s attorneys that Giuffre’s lawsuit should be thrown out at an early stage because of an old legal settlement she had with Epstein, the late American financier she claimed set up sexual encounters with the royal, 61. Kaplan said the $500,000 settlement between Epstein and Giuffre didn’t involve the prince and didn’t bar a suit against him now,” Fox News reported.
“Giuffre sued Andrew in August, alleging she was coerced into sexual encounters with him in 2001 by Epstein and his longtime companion, Ghislaine Maxwell. Giuffre said she was sexually abused by Andrew at Maxwell’s London home, at Epstein’s New York mansion, and his estate in the U.S. Virgin Islands,” the report added.
Fox News continued:
Andrew’s lawyers had said the lawsuit lacked specificity and was disqualified by the deal she reached in 2009 with lawyers for Epstein. They also attacked Giuffre’s credibility and motives, saying in October that the lawsuit was aimed at achieving “another payday at his expense and at the expense of those closest to him.” Kaplan said Giuffre’s complaint is neither “unintelligible” nor “vague” nor “ambiguous.”
Kaplan noted that he was required by law, at this stage of the litigation, to assume Giuffre’s allegations are true, though the prince’s lawyers could cast doubt on the truth of the claims at trial. The judge has said a trial would not occur until late this year, at the earliest. Depositions of the prince and Giuffre would take place before then.
Andrew has long denied Giuffre’s allegations. In late 2019, Prince Andrew told BBC Newsnight that sex with Giuffre “didn’t happen” and he has “no recollection” of ever meeting her. His statements led critics to say he seemed insensitive to Epstein’s victims. After the nuclear interview, Andrew stepped back from public duties.
Sigrid McCawley, an attorney for Giuffre, said in a statement that Kaplan’s ruling “is another important step in Virginia’s heroic and determined pursuit of justice as a survivor of sex trafficking.”
“Giuffre asserted that she met Andrew while she traveled frequently with Epstein between 2000 and 2002 when her lawyers maintain she was ‘on call for Epstein for sexual purposes’ and was ‘lent out to other powerful men,’ including Andrew. Her lawsuit said she still suffers significant emotional and psychological distress and harm,” Fox reported.
Prince Andrew fails in his bid to get US judge to dismiss civil case which alleges he sexually assaulted Virginia Giuffrehttps://t.co/vOpN83YS0c
— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) January 12, 2022
Ghislaine Maxwell’s lawyers will seek a new trial after a juror told the media that he had been a victim of sexual abuse.
Maxwell was convicted last week of aiding Jeffrey Epstein’s sexual abuses.
Now prosecution appoint counsel for rogue juror who said he swayed jury in Ghislaine Maxwell trial https://t.co/5JUzsMxOf5
— Daily Mail US (@DailyMail) January 6, 2022
