Prince Andrew renounces 'Duke of York' title: He was at the center of scandals

Prince Andrew, whose name has been associated with scandals and whose ties to American sex offender Jeffrey Epstein have put pressure on the Royal Family, has released a statement announcing that he is renouncing the titles bestowed upon him.

Prince Andrew, the brother of King Charles of England and one of the sons of Queen Elizabeth II, announced that they reached a decision after consulting with King Charles and family members. Prince Andrew stated, "We have concluded that the ongoing allegations against me overshadow the work carried out by His Majesty and the Royal Family. As always, I am determined to prioritize my duties to my family and my country.

I stand by my decision to step back from public life five years ago. With the approval of His Majesty, we believe I should take a step further. Therefore, I will no longer use the titles and honors bestowed upon me. As I have said before, I vehemently deny the allegations against me," he said.

"CALLS WERE BEING MADE"

Prince Andrew had been under increasing pressure due to his relationships with Jeffrey Epstein, an American businessman who was a convicted sex offender and who died by suicide in his prison cell in 2019 after being arrested on charges of sex trafficking. Calls were also being made to Buckingham Palace to take action against Prince Andrew.

"HE WAS AT THE CENTER OF SCANDALS"

Prince Andrew, who voluntarily gave up his titles including the Duke of York and the Order of the Garter, the most prestigious order in England, had been at the center of a series of scandals, including the case that resulted in an out-of-court settlement with Virginia Giuffre, one of the known victims of Epstein's sex trafficking operation. Virginia Giuffre, who passed away in April of this year and whose memoirs will hit the shelves next week in a book titled "Nobody's Girl," had alleged that she was a victim of human trafficking at the age of 17 and was sent to Prince Andrew by Epstein for the purpose of sexual abuse. These allegations were denied by Prince Andrew.

HE WILL RETAIN HIS PRINCE TITLE

Prince Andrew, who is also alleged to have been warned by the British domestic intelligence agency MI5 due to his communication with a Chinese spy, will retain his title of Prince while giving up the Duke of York title he received from Queen Elizabeth II. Prince Andrew's wife, Sarah Ferguson, will also no longer be referred to as the Duchess of York, but their daughters will continue to hold their princess titles.

HE HAD SAID HE CUT TIES WITH EPSTEIN

Prince Andrew, who came under intense scrutiny due to his ties with Epstein, had explained in an interview that he had cut all ties with Jeffrey Epstein after they were photographed together in December 2010. However, emails that emerged in 2011 showed that Andrew and Epstein had continued to correspond secretly. The fact that the scandals involving the Prince's name did not come to an end was causing growing discomfort at Buckingham Palace.