Buckingham Palace Confirms Prince Andrew Drops Title

AFP/APP/News Desk 

London/Islamabad: In a significant development within the British royal family, Prince Andrew, the younger brother of King Charles III, has formally renounced his title of Duke of York following renewed scrutiny over his association with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Buckingham Palace confirmed the decision on Friday, stating that it followed discussions between the King and Prince Andrew. The palace later published the prince’s official statement on its website under the title, “A statement by Prince Andrew, published 17 October 2025.”

In his statement, Prince Andrew said that he and his family had concluded that the ongoing allegations surrounding him continued to distract from the work of the King and the Royal Family.

“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. I have decided, as I always have, to put my duty to my family and country first,” the prince said.

“With His Majesty’s agreement, we feel I must now go a step further. I will therefore no longer use my title or the honours which have been conferred upon me,” he added, reaffirming that he “vigorously denies” the accusations.

Prince Andrew, the father of Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, had already stepped back from public duties in 2020 following mounting criticism over his friendship with Epstein, who died in a US jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

The palace’s latest move marks a decisive step in distancing the monarchy from the long-running controversy surrounding the prince, signaling King Charles’s intent to preserve the integrity and focus of the Royal Family.

Britain’s Prince Andrew: Key Dates

Key dates in the life of Britain’s Prince Andrew, who on Friday gave up his royal title of Duke of York after further revelations about his ties to US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

February 19, 1960: Born Prince Andrew Albert Christian Edward at Buckingham Palace in London, the third child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.

1973: Follows in the footsteps of his father and brother, Prince Charles, to Gordonstoun boarding school in Scotland.

1979: Joins the Royal Navy, earning praise in 1982 as a helicopter pilot during Britain’s war in the Falkland Islands, which had been invaded by Argentina.

1986: Marries Sarah Ferguson at Westminster Abbey in London. They take the titles Duke and Duchess of York and later have two daughters — Beatrice in 1988 and Eugenie in 1990.

1992: Andrew and Fergie, as she is widely known, separate, divorcing in 1996 but remaining close friends.

2001: After leaving the Navy, Andrew becomes Britain’s special representative for international trade and investment.

2011: Stands down as trade envoy amid controversy over his ties with Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender who preyed on young women.

November 2019: Withdraws from public duties after denying in a disastrous television interview allegations that he had sex with a 17-year-old girl procured by Epstein.

August 2021: Virginia Giuffre files a lawsuit against him for sexual assault.

January 2022: Queen Elizabeth II strips him of his military titles and royal patronages.

February 2022: Reaches a multimillion-pound settlement to end the Giuffre lawsuit.

September 2022: His mother, Queen Elizabeth II, dies, and his eldest brother becomes King Charles III.

October 2025: Gives up his royal title as Duke of York after new allegations surrounding Epstein and a Chinese spying scandal emerge.