The family of Virginia Giuffre has described today as her “victory” as Buckingham Palace strips Prince Andrew of his title and tells him to move out of the Royal Lodge.
The disgraced 65-year-old member of the Royal Family will now be known as only Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, after renewed scrutiny over his ties with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
One of Andrew’s most prominent accusers, American-born Giuffre died by suicide in April this year at her home in Western Australia.
It was recently announced that her posthumous memoir would be published later this year, with extracts from The Guardian renewing scrutiny against Andrew, who Giuffre alleged had sex with her on three separate occasions, and that he believed it was “his birthright”.
As public criticism has intensified against Andrew and his alleged involvement in Epstein’s sex trafficking ring, the Royal Palace announced earlier this month that he would no longer use his Duke of York title.
Now, the latest move from the Palace sees them fully strip Andrew of his ‘prince’ title and residence at the Royal Lodge.
“Today, an ordinary American girl from an ordinary American family, brought down a British prince with her truth and extraordinary courage,” Giuffre’s brother Skye Roberts and sister-in-law Amanda said in a statement.
“Virginia Roberts Giuffre, our sister, a child when she was sexually assaulted by Andrew, never stopped fighting for accountability for what had happened to her and to countless other survivors like her.”
“Today, she declares victory. We, her family, along with her survivor sisters, continue Virginia’s battle and will not rest until the same accountability applies to all of the abusers and abettors connected to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.”
Andrew has long denied Giuffre’s claims, but he stepped down from royal duties after a ruinous BBC interview in 2019, where he claimed he’d never met Giuffre before an infamous photo of the pair together, alongside Maxwell, was released to the public.
Further scrutiny has followed him since, and emails published earlier this month revealed Andrew had been in contact with Epstein longer than he previously admitted.
It was also reported that Andrew had hosted convicted Epstein, Maxwell and fellow convicted sex offender Harvey Weinstein at his Windsor property, two months after a US arrest warrant had been issued for Epstein for the sexual assault of a minor in 2006.
Having been a long-time resident at the Windsor property, The Times reported that Andrew had not paid rent on his 30-room mansion for two decades, but that he had funded at least 7.5 million pounds ($15 million) worth of renovations when he moved in.
In a statement, Buckingham Palace said King Charles initiated the formal process against his brother, Andrew, who will move to “alternative private accommodation”, meaning the royal estate in Sandringham, Norfolk.
“These censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him,” the statement said.
“Their Majesties wish to make clear that their thoughts and utmost sympathies have been, and will remain with, the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse.”
While Giuffre’s family has welcomed the news by Buckingham Palace, her sister-in-law Amanda has also told the BBC that more must be done to ensure justice.
“We have to have some sort of investigation that goes further into this, he’s still walking around a free man. I commend the King… but we need to take it one step further, he needs to be behind bars,” Amanda said about Andrew.
Sigrid McCawley, a lawyer who represented Giuffre during her civil sexual assault case against Andrew, has described the news of Andrew losing his ‘prince’ title as a “tipping point”.
“Her bravery, determination and resilient spirit has led to the defining moment,” McCawley said, adding that this “should be a lesson for all to listen, hear and believe survivors of abuse.”