Prince Andrew full title: Is Prince Andrew still a Duke? Royal could stop using HRH style
PRINCE ANDREW has renounced his royal patronages and military affiliations, Buckingham Palace announced today. Is Prince Andrew still a Duke?
Prince Andrew: Duke of York stripped of his military titles
As the Prince's patronages revert to Queen Elizabeth II, he will also drop an aspect of his title. A royal source revealed that he would no longer style himself as His Royal Highness, although the Queen has not stripped him of this right. His duties will revert to her as he prepares for the next stage in his legal battle with Virginia Giuffre.
Is Prince Andrew still a Duke?
According to Buckingham Palace, Prince Andrew has voluntarily parted with his royal duties.
The Palace said the changes meant he would continue fighting the lawsuit from accuser Ms Giuffre as a "private citizen".
But while the changes will alter his role, they have limited bearing on his title.
READ MORE: Queen takes 'brutal' action on Andrew as Royal Family 'under threat'
Before today, his full styling was His Royal Highness Prince Andrew, the Duke of York.
If he decided to drop the HRH style, he would become Prince Andrew, the Duke of York.
The Queen made him Duke of York, Earl of Inverness, and Baron Killyleagh (his Scottish and Welsh titles) when he married Sarah Ferguson in 1986.
The sudden change to the Duke's title came a day after a New York judge cleared the way for Ms Giuffre's case against him to go forward.
She accused him of sexually assaulting her when she was 17, alleging Jeffrey Epstein trafficked her to have sex with the Prince; something he vehemently denies.
His lawyers had requested presiding judge Lewis Kaplan to dismiss the case, claiming an earlier agreement she signed with Epstein worth $500,000 prevented her from suing him.
On Wednesday, Judge Kaplan ruled the request for dismissal was "denied in all respects".
The case may now progress to the next stage, discovery, where counsels on both sides may question the defendant and claimant.
If neither party can settle, the case could go to court between September and December 2022.
As he enters the process without his duties and patronages, people have called for further action from the Queen.
More than 150 veterans from the Royal Navy, RAF and Army have requested she strip him of his titles and ranks in the British Armed Forces.
In a joint letter issued by the anti-monarchy campaign group Republic, it said they were "upset and angry" he remained a member of the armed forces.
It wrote: “Officers of the British armed forces must adhere to the very highest standards of probity, honesty and honourable conduct.
“These are standards which Prince Andrew has fallen well short of."
It added: “We are therefore asking that you take immediate steps to strip Prince Andrew of all his military ranks and titles and, if necessary, that he be dishonourably discharged.”
Buckingham Palace previously said his military roles were in "abeyance" (suspension) when he stepped back from public duties in 2019.