GhLinks Media
Despite agreeing to an undisclosed financial settlement with a woman who accused him of sexually assaulting her when she was 17, the Duke of York, Prince Andrew is now facing fresh calls to have his title revoked.
As a result of the surprise agreement, Prince Andrew makes no admission of guilt regarding the allegations made by Virginia Giuffre, which he previously denied and had promised to fight in a civil trial in the US.
Last month, the Queen stripped Andrew of his military affiliations and royal patronages in an attempt to distance the royal family from the allegations.
Despite this, he retained his Duke of York title.
The duke, 61, has been heir to the title since the day of his former marriage to Sarah Ferguson, 23 July 1986, and has held it as a lifelong role traditionally created for the monarch’s second son.
However, there was growing support on Wednesday for him to be stripped of his title.
Rachael Maskell, the Labour MP for York Central, said Andrew’s involvement in the sexual assault allegations had been a “source of deep hurt and embarrassment” for many people in the city.
She said: “Although it is a relief that Prince Andrew has finally acknowledged and expressed regret for his close association with a convicted sex offender and sex trafficker, Jeffrey Epstein, his long delay in doing so and initial response to the charges and Ms Giuffre have been a source of deep hurt and embarrassment to many people across the city.
“Carrying a title does create an ambassadorial relationship with that place, and for somewhere with a global reputation, such as York, this is extremely important. It is to be welcomed that he has now pledged to support the fight against the evils of sex trafficking and its victims.
“To demonstrate his seriousness in this endeavour, and his respect for those affected by abuse and the people of our city, I would ask that his first act of contrition is to confirm his support for the withdrawal of his ducal title.”
The Queen alone cannot remove titles of peerage. Any attempt to remove the title would have to be led by parliament, through a statute passed by both the House of Commons and the Lords.
