Entertainment
Prince Andrew gives up his royal titles in fallout from Jeffrey Epstein scandal
Britain’s Prince Andrew will not use his royal titles, including the Duke of York, any longer, he said in a statement released by Buckingham Palace on Friday. The announcement comes after the release of excerpts from a posthumous memoir by Jeffrey Epstein accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who had repeatedly claimed to have been sexually trafficked by the late financier to Andrew.
“In discussion with The King, and my immediate and wider family, we have concluded the continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family,” Andrew, the younger brother of King Charles III, said in the statement. “I have decided, as I always have, to put my duty to my family and country first. I stand by my decision five years ago to stand back from public life.”
He continued: “With His Majesty’s agreement, we feel I must now go a step further. I will therefore no longer use my title or the honours which have been conferred upon me. As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me.”
Giuffre, who died by suicide in April, sued Andrew in 2021, alleging that he forced her to engage in sexual acts against her will when she was 17 years old. The two reached an out-of-court settlement in 2022. Andrew has denied the allegations.
Giuffre was one of the most vocal accusers of Epstein, a convicted sex offender, and Ghislaine Maxwell, who was found guilty of helping Epstein groom, recruit and sexually abuse underage girls. Giuffre alleged Maxwell connected her with Epstein, which Maxwell denies.
In an excerpt of her memoir published by The Guardian, Giuffre describes her alleged encounters with Andrew in detail.
“He was friendly enough, but still entitled — as if he believed having sex with me was his birthright,” she wrote. “The next morning, Maxwell told me: ‘You did well. The prince had fun.’ Epstein would give me $15,000 for servicing the man the tabloids called ‘Randy Andy.'”
Andrew, once second in line to the British throne, has long been a source of tabloid fodder because of his links to Epstein, other questionable characters and money woes.
His attempt to refute Giuffre’s allegations backfired during a November 2019 BBC interview. Viewers saw a prince who proffered curious rebuttals — such as disputing Giuffre’s recollection of sweaty dancing by saying he was medically incapable of perspiring — and showed no empathy for the women who said Epstein abused them.
Within days of the interview, Andrew stepped down from his royal duties.
As well as no longer being known as the Duke of York, Andrew will also give up other titles: Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order and Royal Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter.
He will remain a prince, which he has been entitled to since birth.
Louis Tomlinson has opened up about the emotional aftermath of Liam Payne’s tragic untimely death.
Louis’ former One Direction bandmate died aged 31 in Buenos Aires after falling from a third floor balcony at the Casa Sur Palmero Hotel on October 16, 2024.
Toxicology report revealed that he had alcohol, cocaine and a prescription antidepressant in his system.
In a new interview with The Independent, Louis shared that he has a hard time accepting that Liam is dead.
“I naively thought that, at this point, I’d unfortunately be a little bit more well versed with grief than other people my age,” he reflected, having lost his mother to leukemia in 2016, and his sister to an accidental overdose in 2019.
“I thought that might mean something, but it didn’t at all. It’s something I’ll never really accept. I don’t think,” he added of Liam’s death.
On Thursday, October 16, tributes poured in for the late singer. His girlfriend Kate Cassidy shared a sweet video of Liam attempting to lift her up and failing.
Liam’s sister Ruth penned a heartbreaking note, writing, “1year, 12months, 52weeks, 365days… whichever way I say it, it still means the most heartbreaking truth that you’re not here any more.”
She added, “When you used to go away on tour, and l’d cry that you’d be gone for a while, I always knew you’d come back, but now I can’t get you home, I can’t meet up with you somewhere in the world, I can’t facetime or text to see how you’re doing, it’s an eternal homesick feeling because we can’t go back.”
- Final decision to be announced soon, says PCB spokesperson.
- Zimbabwe approached as potential replacement: sources
- Tri-series set to be held in Pakistan from November 17 to 29.
LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Saturday confirmed that the Tri-Nation T20I series will take place as per schedule, despite Afghanistan pulling out of the tournament amid the recent tensions between the two neighbouring countries.
A PCB spokesperson told Geo News that the event, set to be held in Pakistan from November 17 to 29, will proceed according to the original schedule, as the cricket board is considering options for the third team.
The spokesperson added that the final decision would be announced soon.
Sources privy to the developments indicated that the PCB has approached the Zimbabwe Cricket Board as a potential replacement for Afghanistan. The tri-nation series was originally slated to feature Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan, with the final scheduled at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium.
Islamabad and Kabul witnessed heightened tensions since October 12, when the Taliban forces and India-backed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), alias Fitna al-Khawarij, resorted to an unprovoked attack on Pakistan.
The Pakistan Armed Forces gave a befitting response to the aggression, killing over 200 Afghan Taliban and affiliated militants in a self-defence action. The military’s media wing said that 23 soldiers embraced martyrdom in the clashes with the Taliban forces and the terrorists.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that a high-level delegation led by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif will hold talks with representatives of the Afghan Taliban in Doha today (Saturday).
The foreign ministry said that the talks will primarily focus on “immediate measures to end cross-border terrorism against Pakistan emanating from Afghanistan” and on restoring “peace and stability along the Pak-Afghan border.”
“Pakistan does not seek escalation, urges the Afghan Taliban authorities to honour their commitments to the international community and address Pakistan’s legitimate security concerns by taking verifiable action against terrorist entities, including the FAK/TTP and FAH/BLA,” the Foreign Office posted on X.
The ministry also appreciated the mediation efforts of Qatar and hopes these discussions contribute to peace and stability in the region.
This is a developing story and is being updated with the latest information.
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