The Duke of York’s military affiliations and royal patronages have been returned to the Queen, Buckingham Palace has announced.
“The Duke of York will continue not to undertake any public duties” the statement read. This comes after news swept the globe that 61-year-old Prince Andrew will face a sex assault lawsuit in the US over claims that he sexually assaulted a woman when she was 17.
A statement from Buckingham Palace regarding The Duke of York: pic.twitter.com/OCeSqzCP38
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) January 13, 2022
In court documents, Virginia Giuffre said she was the victim of sex trafficking and abuse by late billionaire Jeffrey Epstein. Part of her alleged abuse involved being lent out to other powerful men, including the Prince. There is a picture of the Prince and Giuffre together when she was 17-years-old, but Prince Andrew has consistently denied the claims.
Prince Andrew is ninth in line to the throne, and had to step back from royal duties in 2019 following an interview where he tried to defend ties to Epstein.
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Picture: Twitter