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Royal expert calls out 'total lack of support' in Prince Andrew statement
A royal expert has called out the 'total lack of support' in the royal family's statement announcing the news Prince Andrew would lose his titles.
The Duke of York has officially been stripped of his military titles and royal patronages by the Queen after a US judge ruled his trial for sex offences could go ahead.
In a statement the palace said: "With the Queen’s approval and agreement, the Duke of York’s military affiliations and Royal patronages have been returned to the Queen.
"The Duke of York will continue not to undertake any public duties and is defending this case as a private citizen."
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Speaking to 9Honey, royal commentator Victoria Murphy said the announcement by Buckingham Palace highlighted that the royal family are now looking to distance themselves from Prince Andrew.
"They clearly felt they needed to act," she told the publication, pointing out the latest court decision "has escalated the reputational damage being done".
"They have now distanced themselves even further from Andrew and it's a strong show of total lack of support."
Prince Andrew will face a civil trial over the sex assault allegations from Virginia Giuffre, which he denies.
On Thursday, a source close to the duke said he would “continue to defend himself” against Ms Giuffre’s allegations.
Judge Lewis A Kaplan ruled on Wednesday the case could go ahead and dismissed a motion by the duke’s lawyers to have the civil case thrown.
Judge Kaplan said Giuffre, 38, was entitled to pursue claims that Andrew battered her and intentionally caused her emotional distress.
A source close to the duke said he was unsurprised by the judge's ruling: “Given the robustness with which Judge Kaplan greeted our arguments, we are unsurprised by the ruling.
“However, it was not a judgement on the merits of Ms Giuffre’s allegations. This is a marathon not a sprint and the duke will continue to defend himself against these claims.”
Queen 'led crisis talks with Prince Andrew's siblings'
According to ITV's royal editor Chris Ship, the decision to remove Prince Andrew's titles came after discussions among senior members of the royal family.
The Queen is said to have led the 'crisis talks' along with Prince Charles.
Andrew's other siblings, Princess Anne and Prince Edward, are also believed to have been involved in the crisis talks.
The royal source also told PA the military posts would be redistributed to other members of the royal family, meaning Andrew's removal from public life is a permanent one.
The date of the announcement from the palace comes exactly two years after the famous Sandringham Summit held on January 13 the wake of Prince Harry and Meghan's bombshell announcement to step down as senior royals in 2020.
Prince Andrew first stepped down from public duties in November 2019, in the wake of his disastrous BBC interview over his friendship with Jefferey Epstein.
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