Prince Andrew has given up his military titles and royal charities, Buckingham palace announced Thursday, amid an ongoing sexual abuse case against him.
The palace said that Andrew “will continue not to undertake any public duties and is defending this case as a private citizen,” per the New York Times.
As previously reported by Human Events News, a federal judge on Wednesday denied Prince Andrew’s request to dismiss a lawsuit accusing him of having sex with an underage girl.
Judge Lewis Kaplan ruled that it was an open question as to whether Prince Andrew should be released from liability over the abuse alleged by Virginia Giuffre.
Giuffre - who also accused Jeffrey Epstein of sexual exploitation - is suing Prince Andrew for allegedly sexually assaulting her when she was only 17.
“I am holding Prince Andrew accountable for what he did to me,” Virginia Giuffre said in a statement. “The powerful and rich are not exempt from being held responsible for their actions. I hope that other victims will see that it is possible not to live in silence and fear, but to reclaim one’s life by speaking out and demanding justice.”
“I did not come to this decision lightly,” she went on. “As a mother and a wife, my family comes first - and I know that this action will subject me to further attacks by Prince Andrew and his surrogates - but I knew if I did not pursue this action, I would be letting them and victims everywhere down.”
For years, Prince Andrew has denied allegations. Indeed, in 2019, he told BBC News: “It didn’t happen.”
Andrew argued that the case should be dismissed over a 2009 civil settlement that Giuffre signed with Epstein for $500,000. He claimed that the settlement should bar him for being sued for sexual abuse.
In his ruling, Kaplan added that his refusal to dismiss Giuffre’s case was not a result of finding her claims to be true, which is a matter that still will be determined by a jury.
Buckingham Palace also said Andrew would “no longer use the style ‘His Royal Highness’ in any official capacity.”
