Prince Andrew Stripped Of Royal Patronages and Military Affiliations

Britain's Prince Andrew has been stripped of royal patronages and military affiliations — with the queen's approval — a day after a U.S. district judge rejected his motion to dismiss a lawsuit brought by Virginia Giuffre that alleges he sexually abused her when she was 17.
"The Duke of York will continue not to undertake any public duties and is defending this case as a private citizen," a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said Thursday.
According to a royal source, all of his roles have been handed back to Queen Elizabeth II and will be redistributed to other members of the royal family. He will no longer be using "His Royal Highness" in any official capacity.
Andrew's lawyers had argued that the lawsuit that is now moving ahead should be thrown out because of a 2009 deal that Guiffre signed with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Judge Lewis Kaplan said the 2009 deal "cannot be seen" to benefit Andrew.
Andrew may decide to fight the case in court, but given the negative light that process would shine on his family, most analysts see it as highly unlikely. As a U.K. resident, he could also refuse to cooperate with a trial if it does go ahead, but that tactic could be disastrous.
The prince's best option, CBS News legal analyst Rikki Klieman said, is to try to settle with Giuffre out of court to stop the case from going to trial. But Giuffre would have to agree to that option, and so far, her legal team has indicated no inclination to do so.
Giuffre, who claims the prince sexually assaulted her on multiple occasions when she was a teenager, told CBS News in 2020 that Andrew "should be panicking" and that the royal "needs to be held accountable."
Prince Andrew denies all the accusations and has never been charged with a crime. He claims to have no recollection of meeting Giuffre, despite being photographed together when Giuffre was a teenager. In the same photo, Epstein's former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, was convicted of grooming and trafficking minors for sexual abuse in December.
Once regarded as a handsome playboy prince, Andrew's name is indelibly stained by his friendships with convicted sex offenders Epstein and Maxwell.

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