JAKARTA - Prince Andrew, brother of the King of England Charles III, declared the release of the Duke of York following the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, alleged sexual harassment of a underage girl, and her interaction with China.
Earlier on Friday, The Times newspaper reported King Charles III was considering withdrawing Andrew's title as the kingdom almost reached a "critical point" following a series of scandals involving him.
Then on the same day, King Charles III's brother stated that in his discussion with the king and the royal family, the conclusion was reached "continuous accusations against him disturbing His Majesty's duties and the Royal Family."
"I have decided, as I should, to prioritize devotion to my family and the state. I stick to my decision five years ago to withdraw from public activities," Andrew said as quoted by ANTARA from Sputnik, Saturday, October 18.
"With the approval of His Majesty Raja, we feel that I must act further. With this I declare that I will not use the title or honor that was awarded to me."
However, he still "firmly denies any accusations" against him.
The permanent revocation of the York Duke's title from Andrew required parliamentary approval. Because of that, Andrew's statement implies he only voluntarily does not use the title but without completely releasing it.
In recent years, Andrew has been in the spotlight due to his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.
The Daily Mail newspaper reported in 2011 that Andrew told Epstein he would stay with him following the publication of an image showing Andrew with a girl.
Andrew is also suspected of being involved in the Virginia Giuffre rape case which said the prince attacked him in London when he was 17 years old.
In 2022, media reports say Andrew has paid compensation to Giuffre, but without claiming to be wrong. For this scandal, his royal honorary and paronace military titles were revoked.
Giuffre was found dead at the age of 41 in Western Australia in April 2025.
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