Prince Andrew latest: Royal stripped of title as Virginia Giuffre’s family says she ‘brought down a prince’

Andrew, 65, has long denied Virginia Giuffre’s claims, but stepped down from royal duties after a disastrous 2019 BBC interview in which he attempted to deny her allegations.

Andrew paid millions in an out-of-court settlement in 2022 after she filed a civil suit against him in New York.

While he did not admit wrongdoing, he acknowledged her suffering as a victim of sex trafficking.

Andrew will receive an “appropriate” private provision from the King, it is understood.

Any other sources of income will be a matter for the former duke.

In 2021 a royal finance expert said: “Prince Andrew’s finances are shrouded in a pea soup of impenetrability.”

Andrew’s friendship and association with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein had been known for years, but it was the publication this month of Virginia Giuffre’s posthumous memoir, Nobody’s Girl, that reignited public anger and brought matters to a head.

In it, she said she suffered nightmares of ‘greedy men on top of her’ years after the abuse:

Democratic Congressman Suhas Subramanyam, who has previously called for Andrew to testify before a US Congressional committee about his links to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell to “clear his name”, has again urged Andrew to give evidence.

He said: “It’s clear that Prince Andrew has information about Epstein’s crimes and he must do more than just give up titles or hide from the public spotlight.

“He owes it to the victims to share everything he knows about Epstein’s criminal operation and come before the Oversight Committee.

“Regardless, we will continue to pursue the files and all the evidence, no matter how rich and powerful the perpetrators involved.”

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said it must have been “very difficult” for the King to take the steps against his sibling, but that it was right for the public not to tolerate sexual abuse allegations.

Speaking on an LBC Radio phone-in, she said: “I’ve been following this story more about a family. It’s a very sad state of affairs.

“I think that the King has clearly felt that this is the right decision for the royal family. It must have been a very difficult thing for him to have done. I mean, having to do that to your own brother.

“But the standards and expectations in society now are very high. People expect to see the very highest levels of integrity.

“And I’m afraid the whole Jeffrey Epstein saga and everyone it has touched, from Prince Andrew to Peter Mandelson, has just shown that the public has no truck whatsoever with any kind of sexual abuse, sexual offences, especially of minors. And I think that that’s quite right.”

Virginia Giuffre’s brother lauded the removal of Andrew’s prince and HRH titles as “a moment that is unprecedented in history”.

Sky Roberts told BBC Newsnight his late sister would be “so proud”.

“He’s just Andrew,” he said. “He’s no longer a prince, and she (Ms Giuffre) would be, she is celebrating from the heavens right now, saying I did it.”

He broke down in tears before adding: “This normal girl from a normal family has taken down a prince. We are so proud of her.

“Her survivors are proud of her, her sisters. This is a moment that is unprecedented in history.”

Speaking to BBC Newsnight, Sky Roberts thanked Charles for the Buckingham Palace statement that mentioned “thoughts and utmost sympathies” with “victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse”.

Mr Roberts said: “But it’s not enough, it’s not enough, we have to have some sort of investigation that goes further into this.

“I mean he’s (Andrew) still walking around a free man.

“I commend the King, I think he’s doing an amazing job as a world leader, setting a precedent, but we need to take it one more step further: he (Andrew) needs to be behind bars, period.”