Prince Andrew Finally Relinquishes Royal Titles & I’ve Got Some Serious Feelings About It

What does this mean exactly? Andrew will no longer be known as the Duke of York, though he will still be known as Prince Andrew, a title given to him at birth. He also retains his “HRH,” but he will no longer be using it in an effort to put even more distance between the royal family and his ties to Epstein. (It’s worth noting that an act of Parliament is required to formally strip Andrew of his titles.)

I’ll admit: As excerpts from Giuffre’s upcoming book were published in publications ranging from The Guardian to CBS News this week, I was waiting for a renewed reckoning from the palace beyond the steps taken by Queen Elizabeth II in 2019, following Andrew’s disastrous Newsnight interview, then again in 2022. (The late queen stripped her son of his military titles and patronages after a judge rejected his request to have Giuffre’s lawsuit against him dismissed.) Back then, Andrew settled with Giuffre, who died by suicide this year, for an undisclosed sum.

But since the Queen passed away in 2022, we’ve seen Andrew popping up at more and more royal events. He also made for regular U.K. headline fodder—about horse rides around Windsor Castle, but also about his ongoing battle with King Charles related to his refusal to leave Royal Lodge. Not only that, I’ve watched with great disdain as his appearances at family events became more frequent—whether he was attending a funeral or a holiday outing like Easter, his presence felt a bit too prominent. Also, distracting.

Bottom line: When Nobody’s Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting For Justice publishes next week, it will no doubt be a bombshell. For Andrew, it also makes official what the palace has been dancing around for years—there is no way back.