The son of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, Prince Andrew, has lost royal patronage and all military ranks, Buckingham Palace announced on its Instagram page.
“With the Queen’s approval and consent, the Duke of York’s military affiliation and royal patronage have been returned to the Queen. The Duke of York will continue to assume no public duties and will participate in the case as a private individual,” the statement said.
According to Reuters, the move came after the prince’s lawyers failed to persuade a US judge to dismiss a civil rape lawsuit. The lawsuit was filed by American Virginia Giuffre.
In 2019, Giuffre told NBC that she was the victim of so-called “sex trafficking,” in which young girls were brought against their will to “meet rich clients.” Such “meetings” were organized by American billionaire Jeffrey Epstein, who was later accused in the United States of forcing minors into sexual slavery. Epstein committed suicide in prison. Giuffre and several other women claim they were all victims of financier Jeffrey Epstein, who forced minors into prostitution.
The prince himself later stated that he had no relationship with Giuffre. These words were contained in an official statement from Buckingham Palace, made on behalf of the prince, which also said that these accusations were “false and without any basis.”
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