🔗 Share this article The Reasons Prince Andrew is Giving Up His Royal Honors – and the Implications for the Monarchy In a announcement issued by Buckingham Palace, the king's brother has confirmed that he will be relinquishing his official honors, including the Duke of York. Here are the details of what was announced – and what wasn't. What Has Andrew Announced? After previously stepped down as a working royal in 2019, the prince has currently decided to “take additional measures” and consent not to use the “title or the awards which have been granted to” him. But he also employed the announcement to make a point of denying – as he has always done – the allegations of misconduct leveled at him; albeit having paid out a substantial sum to settle the legal claim filed by Virginia Giuffre – an agreement in which he accepted no fault and strongly rejected all allegations of wrongdoing. There has been ongoing scrutiny on the monarchy regarding the allegations against Andrew – particularly after his ill-fated Newsnight interview with Emily Maitlis in 2019. He now claims he is acting to safeguard his relatives from further damage resulting from public speculation. Has the King Stripped Him of His Honors? No. And, while this might be viewed as a mere formality, it is significant in two respects: initially, it allows Andrew to openly state to have behaved with integrity in support of the crown. As he said in his statement: “I have chosen, as I always have, to prioritize my obligations to my family and country first.” Second, while he has agreed to abstain from using it, Andrew retains the dukedom, as well as the titles his earldom and his barony and the esteemed Garter role as Royal Knight Companion of the prestigious order. Similar to the royal style title, they essentially become inactive. He remains royalty and eighth in the line of succession. In theory, he remains still a counsellor of state – and can stand in for the king should he be abroad or ill. However the palace has indicated that, realistically, he will not be asked to fulfil this role. Nevertheless, it is significant that the prince's announcement said this choice was made “following talks with the monarch”. There seems little doubt that, behind the scenes, the palace advocated for this in the aim of cutting Andrew loose. Why Hasn’t He Been Officially Stripped of All of His Titles? To revoke a dukedom would take legislative action, and would constitute an unprecedented step publicly before the public – it has not happened to a senior royal in more than 100 years – that it could cause more harm to the image for the monarchy. Andrew is also still a prince. At his birth in 1960, he was automatically as the child of the sovereign. This could only be altered if a letters patent was enacted by the king. The entire procedure could end up being drawn-out, implying the objective of swiftly resolving the issue – particularly for the royal family’s purposes – would not necessarily be met. What Are the Implications for Andrew? Embarrassment, likely above all. The statement signifies an effective loss of status he has fought against for a long time. The prince and his former spouse, Sarah, continue to reside in their Windsor residence, despite rumoured attempts by the king to persuade his brother to relocate of the thirty-room royal residence in the Windsor estate. Although limited information has been shed on exactly how much money the prince has obtained as a result of his position, he remains a person of means. Back in 2007, he managed to secure £15m by selling a property that had been a wedding present from his mother, for example. Why Now? The continual series of controversies involving Andrew has become intolerable for the monarch and other high-ranking family members. His friendship with the jailed sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein is once again in the headlines following revelations Andrew had told him “we share this situation” in an email sent three months subsequent to his assertion to have ceased contact. There have also been reports about his connections with a suspected Chinese spy and, this week, extracts appeared from the book released after death of Giuffre, who took her own life in April. She alleged the prince “thought that having sex with me was his entitlement”. Moreover, the king is due to make a historic visit to see the pontiff next week, when he will become the initial British king since Henry VIII broke from the Catholic Church in 1534 to pray publicly with the pope and leader of Catholicism. He will not have wanted that trip to be overshadowed by more negative headlines about Andrew. What Was the Reaction? Although he stated Giuffre had been “vindicated” by the decision, her sibling Sky Roberts informed the Times that Andrew’s honorary prince title ought to be removed for “true justice” to be done. The anti-monarchist advocacy organization Republic has also said the move is “too little, too late”, noting: “The prince continues to be accused of sexual offences and abuse of office. He should be stripped of all titles and his military position and should face a criminal investigation. Not using archaic honors is not a punishment that matches the accusations.”