A senior minister in the British government has stated that Prince Andrew’s decision to give up his royal titles was the “right course of action”, coming just a day after police confirmed they were looking into claims that Andrew had asked a police officer to undermine a woman accusing him of sexual abuse, reports RTE.
Prince Andrew, the younger sibling of King Charles, announced last week that he would no longer use his Duke of York title and others, after enduring prolonged public scrutiny over his conduct and ties to the late American sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. While he steps back from those titles, Andrew still retains his princely status and has repeatedly denied any misconduct, reports RTE.
A court decision last year revealed that the British government suspected one of Andrew’s key business contacts of being a Chinese intelligence agent. At that point, Andrew said he had ended all communications with the individual.
Bridget Phillipson, the education minister and senior MP, told Sky News, “We agree and support the decision that the royal family and Prince Andrew have taken. We believe that’s the right course of action,” reports RTE.
When questioned about the possibility of stripping Andrew of his prince title, Phillipson explained that this was not an issue for the government to resolve but one that falls under the authority of the royal family.
Just days before the publication of a memoir by Virginia Giuffre, a high-profile accuser of Epstein, Andrew gave up his Duke of York title. The book introduces new claims against Andrew, who previously resolved a civil lawsuit with Giuffre in 2022.
In Nobody’s Girl, which the BBC accessed in advance of its release, Giuffre recounts her fear of potentially “dying a sex slave” while under Epstein’s influence. She also describes three alleged sexual encounters with Andrew, including one that involved Epstein and multiple young women, reports RTE.
According to the memoir, Andrew accurately identified Giuffre’s age as 17 when they first met. The book details alleged encounters in London, New York, and Epstein’s private Caribbean island.
Buckingham Palace has been approached for a response, reports RTE.
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