Prince Andrew will lose his military ranks and royal titles as he faces the prospect of a civil sexual assault lawsuit in the United States, Buckingham Palace confirmed on Thursday.
According to the European edition of Politico, Victoria Juffre accused the British prince of sexual assault when she was 17, allegations that Prince Andrew has repeatedly denied. A judge in New York on Wednesday rejected the queen's second son's proposal to suspend the case.
Juffrey said she was the victim of sexual trafficking and abuse by Jeffrey Epstein, a billionaire financier who was found dead in a prison cell in Manhattan in August 2019, and the investigation decided he committed suicide.
In a statement issued Thursday, Buckingham Palace said: "With the Queen's approval and consent, the Duke of York's military ranks and royal titles have been returned to the Queen."
The palace added: "The Duke of York will continue to assume no public duties and will defend himself in this case as a private citizen."
Both ITV News and the Guardian, citing royal sources, said the prince would no longer use "His Royal Highness" in any official title after the move.
The prince's lawyers say the case should be dropped, citing an agreement reached in 2009 with Juffre and Epstein. Prince Andrew told the BBC in 2019 that he did not remember meeting Juffre.
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