King Charles Strips Prince Andrew of Titles Amid Epstein Abuse Survivor Statement Dispute

Prince Andrew, stripped of his prince and Duke of York titles by King Charles due to his ties to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, reportedly refused to approve any Royal Family statements that included tributes to Epstein's victims. While King Charles and Queen Camilla publicly expressed their sympathy for abuse survivors in the title removal announcement, previous statements mentioning victims were allegedly removed because Andrew did not sign off on them. Friends of the King and Queen revealed that Andrew's approval was required for communications, and his refusal to acknowledge victims in statements persisted after his damaging 2019 BBC Newsnight interview. The King has since taken direct control of such statements, reflecting a shift to prioritize victim voices, which is important for the credibility of the Queen and Duchess of Edinburgh’s advocacy against sexual abuse. Public anger towards Andrew influenced the royal family's actions, with the King reportedly losing patience and issuing statements independently of committee input. Andrew denies allegations of sexual assault made by Virginia Giuffre, who claims abuse after being trafficked by Epstein.