A major decision by Buckingham Palace confirmed that Prince Andrew will be formally stripped of his remaining royal styles, titles and honours. The Palace’s statement declared that the action was “deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that [he] continues to deny the allegations against him”.
In response, the family of Virginia Giuffre issued an emotionally charged statement describing the moment as a victory not only for Giuffre herself, but for survivors of abuse everywhere. Her brother, Sky Roberts, and sister-in-law Amanda Roberts declared: “Today, an ordinary American girl from an ordinary American family brought down a British prince with her truth and extraordinary courage.”
Giuffre, who died by suicide in April 2025 at the age of 41, had long alleged that she was trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell and forced to have sex with Prince Andrew when she was 17. She detailed those claims in her posthumously published memoir Nobody’s Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice.
In the Palace announcement, Prince Andrew’s renunciation of his titles was framed as a decision taken “in discussion with His Majesty [King Charles III] and my immediate and wider family” because the “continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family.” He announced he would “no longer use my title or the honours which have been conferred upon me.”
The timing of these developments is noteworthy. Days before the official statement, Andrew indicated his intention to relinquish titles including the Dukedom of York, the Earl of Inverness and the Baron Killyleagh — while still legally retaining the title of Prince, which can only be removed by letters patent from the monarch.
Giuffre’s family welcomed the move but insisted it does not go far enough. They are calling for the King to revoke the title of “Prince” completely, not just the honours that can be surrendered or renounced by Andrew himself. “Why not go the full way? Remove the title of Prince too, he shouldn’t be able to call himself one,”
Political and royal-watching commentary has been swift. A senior UK government minister described Andrew’s giving up of titles as “the right course of action” amid renewed scrutiny of his links to Epstein and alleged efforts to discredit Giuffre. Meanwhile, coverage emphasises that the move carries symbolic weight: it demonstrates an institution responding to sustained public pressure and serious allegations that had lingered for years.
For Giuffre’s family, the day marked both a culmination of her personal fight and a new phase in their advocacy. “Virginia … never stopped fighting for accountability for what had happened to her and to countless other survivors like her. Today, she declares victory,” they said. They added that the next task is ensuring the mechanisms of justice hold all perpetrators and their enablers accountable, not just high-profile figures.
As the story develops, important questions remain: whether King Charles will proceed to revoke the title “Prince” entirely; whether further royal or governmental actions will follow; and how Giuffre’s memoir and the public record of Epstein’s trafficking network will continue to shape accountability and institutional reform.
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