Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, has seen his public standing collapse following a series of sexual assault allegations and his association with convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The 65-year-old, once second in line to the throne, was stripped of his military affiliations and royal patronages by the late Queen Elizabeth II, and has now left Royal Lodge, marking a nadir for her second son.
The scandal traces back to the 1990s, when Andrew was introduced to Epstein through Ghislaine Maxwell. Photographs later emerged showing the prince with Epstein and Maxwell at the Queen's Balmoral residence and at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago club. Virginia Giuffre, a victim of Epstein's trafficking, alleged that Andrew sexually assaulted her on three occasions when she was 17, including at Maxwell's London home and Epstein's New York residence and Caribbean island.
Andrew vehemently denied the claims, but a disastrous 2019 BBC interview, in which he said he could not have had sex with Giuffre because he was at Pizza Express in Woking and claimed he is unable to sweat, led to public outcry. He stepped back from royal duties in November 2019.
In January 2022, the Queen stripped Andrew of his honorary military roles and patronages after over 150 veterans expressed upset and anger. Later that year, Andrew settled Giuffre's civil lawsuit out of court, reportedly paying a substantial sum without admitting liability. The settlement included a donation to Giuffre's charity and a statement that she had never been a victim of sex trafficking.
The Duke's legal and reputational troubles continued as he faced a US investigation, but in 2023, King Charles III allowed him to retain his position as Duke of York and his remaining royal duties, though he has not returned to public life.
