Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, has seen his public role dismantled amid allegations of sexual assault and his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The 65-year-old, once second in line to the throne, has been stripped of military titles and royal patronages, and has vacated Royal Lodge.
Andrew was introduced to Epstein in the late 1990s through Ghislaine Maxwell, daughter of media tycoon Robert Maxwell. A photograph from 2000 shows the trio at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago club. Later that year, Epstein and Maxwell attended a joint birthday party at Windsor Castle hosted by the Queen.
In 2010, Andrew visited Epstein in New York after Epstein's release from prison for soliciting a minor. Photos of them walking in Central Park sparked controversy. Andrew resigned as UK trade envoy in 2011 following criticism of this meeting.
In 2015, Virginia Giuffre alleged in US court documents that Andrew sexually assaulted her when she was 17, at Maxwell's London home, Epstein's New York residence, and on his private island. Buckingham Palace denied the claims. Andrew stepped back from public duties in 2019 after a disastrous BBC interview where he claimed he could not have assaulted Giuffre due to a visit to Pizza Express and an inability to sweat.
In 2022, a New York judge rejected Andrew's attempt to dismiss Giuffre's civil lawsuit. The Queen stripped him of military affiliations and patronages after veteran backlash. Andrew settled the lawsuit in February 2022 for an undisclosed sum, without admitting liability.
