🔗 Share this article Why Prince Andrew is Giving Up His Royal Titles – and the Implications for the Royal Family In a statement released by Buckingham Palace, Prince Andrew has declared he is relinquishing his royal titles, such as his dukedom. Here is an overview of what has been announced – and what remains unchanged. What Did the Prince Announced? After previously stepped down as a working royal in 2019, the prince has currently chosen to “go a step further” and consent to refrain from using the “title or the awards which have been conferred upon” him. However, he used the statement to emphatically rejecting – as he has always done – the allegations of misconduct leveled at him; albeit after settling a substantial sum to settle the civil sexual assault case brought by Virginia Giuffre – an agreement in which he accepted no fault and strongly rejected all allegations of improper conduct. There has existed persistent pressure toward the royal institution regarding the claims involving the prince – especially since his disastrous Newsnight interview with Emily Maitlis in 2019. He presently states he is acting to protect his relatives from further damage caused by media scrutiny. Has the King Removed Him of His Titles? Not at all. And although this might be viewed as a mere formality, it holds importance in multiple ways: initially, it allows Andrew to openly state to have behaved with integrity in defence of the monarchy. As stated in his statement: “I have decided, consistent with my past, to put my duty to my family and country first.” Second, although he consented not to use it, Andrew retains the dukedom, along with the honors the Earl of Inverness and his barony and the esteemed position as a member of the prestigious order. Similar to the His Royal Highness title, they essentially become dormant. He remains a prince and eighth in the line of succession. In theory, he remains a potential stand-in for the monarch – and may deputize for the sovereign should he be overseas or unwell. Although royal officials has indicated that, in practice, he would not be asked to perform these duties. Nonetheless, it is significant that the prince's announcement indicated the decision was made “in discussion with the king”. It appears highly likely that, behind the scenes, the royal household pushed for this in the aim of distancing the institution from Andrew. Why Hasn’t He Been Officially Stripped of His Entire Honors? To forcibly remove a ducal title would take an act of parliament, and would represent such a historic move in full view of the nation – it has not happened to a senior royal in more than 100 years – that it could cause more harm to the image for the monarchy. Andrew is also still a prince. When he was born in 1960, he was automatically as the child of the sovereign. This would only be changed if a letters patent was enacted by the reigning monarch. The whole process could end up being protracted, implying the objective of swiftly resolving the issue – at least for the royal family’s purposes – may not be achieved. What Does It Mean for Andrew? Humiliation, likely above all. The announcement signifies an substantial reduction of standing he has fought against for years. He and his ex-wife, Sarah, still live in their Windsor residence, despite rumoured attempts by the king to encourage his brother to move out of the thirty-room Crown Estate property in the Windsor estate. While little light has been shed on the precise amount of money Andrew has received as a result of his position, he continues to be a person of means. In 2007, he was able to raise £15m by selling a property that had been a gift from his mother, as an instance. Why Now? The continual series of controversies involving Andrew has proved intolerable for the monarch and other senior royals. His friendship with the convicted sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein is once again under scrutiny after it emerged Andrew had told him “we are in this together” in a message sent three months after he claimed to have ended communication. Additionally, there were reports about his association with an alleged Chinese spy and, recently, extracts were published from the posthumous memoir of Giuffre, who took her own life in April. She alleged the prince “believed that having sex with me was his birthright”. Furthermore, the sovereign is scheduled to make a historic visit to meet Pope Leo soon, during which he will be the initial British king since Henry VIII broke from the Catholic Church in 1534 to pray publicly with the pope and leader of Catholicism. He will not have wanted that trip to be marred by more negative headlines about Andrew. What Has Been the Response? While he said Giuffre had been “justified” by the decision, her sibling Sky Roberts informed the Times that Andrew’s honorary prince title ought to be removed for “true justice” to be achieved. The republican advocacy organization Republic has additionally stated the move is “too little, too late”, adding: “The prince continues to be facing allegations of sexual offences and misuse of position. He should be stripped of every honor and his military position and should undergo a legal probe. Not using silly medieval titles is not a punishment that matches the accusations.”