A court lately rule that Prince Andrew , third child ofQueen Elizabeth II , can be action in the U.S.for allegedly sexually assaulting American Virginia Giuffre when she was 17 years honest-to-god . Giuffre says she was traffic by financier and convict sexual urge offender Jeffrey Epstein in the other 2000s to various people , admit Andrew . ( Epstein dedicate self-annihilation in slammer in 2019 while awaiting a sex - trafficking trial . )
Although Prince Andrew ( who was a friend of Epstein ’s ) denies all the allegement against him , the Royal Family distanced itself from the 61 - class - former prince , whose royal form of address is the Duke of York .
With a potentially mortifying civil trial going onward in the States , Buckingham Palace issued the followingstatement : " With the Queen ’s favorable reception and agreement , the Duke of York ’s military affiliation and Royal backup have been returned to the Queen . The Duke of York will continue not to undertake any public duty and is oppose this case as a individual citizen . "
One of the biggest changes is that Prince Andrew will no longer be called His Royal Highness ( or HRH for short ) , even though he technically retains the rubric . This was the same " punishment " turn over down toPrince Harry and Meghan , the Duke and Duchess of Sussex , when they chose tostep downfrom their imperial duties .
As for his military title , Prince Andrew served in the Royal Navy for 22 years and will keep the title of Vice - Admiral in the Royal Navy , but he has been peel ofmore than a dozenother title and honorifics like the Colonel - in - chieftain of the Royal Irish Regiment and the Colonel - in - Chief of the Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada .
At one sentence , the Duke of York was a " royal patron " of about 200 dissimilar charities and organisation , which intend that he used his public position to help resurrect money for these causes and campaigns . But after a 2019 BBC audience about the intimate assault allegement , many gamy - profile organizations opt tocut ties with him , including the English National Ballet , Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and London Metropolitan University .
With Buckingham Palace ’s recent announcement , all the duke ’s remaining patronages were " returned to the Queen , " and will be shell out to other members of the Royal Family , meaning Prince Andrew is formally out of that business .
Could Prince Andrew Still Become King?
Technically , yes . As the son of the prevail monarch , Queen Elizabeth II , Andrew is a prince by birth . That ’s not something that the Royal Family can take forth from him . According to the officialroyal line of succession , the duke is 9th in line for the crapper behind his elderly buddy Prince Charles and all of Charles ' heirs .
What ’s interesting is that the royal line of succession is n’t alone decide by stemma . The BritishParliament also has a say . accord to two centuries - old laws , the Bill of Rights ( 1689 ) and the Act of Settlement ( 1701 ) , Parliament can govern who is fit for the throne .
For starters , majestic heir have to be members of the Church of England ( i.e. , they ca n’t be Catholic ) . And even after they become Rex or queen , Parliament can remove them for act of " misgovernment . "
Andrew could be removed from succession through an Act of Parliament . An Act of Parliament , according to the U.K. Parliament website , is a bill that has been okay by both the House of Commons and the House of Lords and give " Royal Assent " by the Queen .
However , it ’s improbable that Parliament would take the time to vote to remove Andrew , since he is so far down the line of succession . Stripping Andrew of his titleof Duke of York ( a gift from the Queen on his marriage day ) would also require an Act of Parliament .
