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Prince Andrew has lost another title.
At a meeting at York Racecourse on Wednesday evening, councilors voted unanimously to strip the 62-year-old of his “Freedom of the City of York” honour, ITV reported. Queen Elizabeth II’s third child, known as the Duke of York, was given the title in 1987 shortly after he married his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson.
“The honor is held by many remarkable and accomplished people who wear it proudly and responsibly,” Darryl Smalley, executive member of the York City Council for Culture, was quoted by the outlet as saying.
“Having been stripped of his military roles and royal patronages by the Queen, we believe it is right to remove any ties Prince Andrew still has with our great city. I was delighted to see advisers from all parties support this motion and make it clear that it is no longer appropriate for Prince Andrew to represent York and its people Removing this honorary title sends the right message that we as a city support victims of abuse.
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Prince Andrew, Duke of York, is the third child of Queen Elizabeth II.
(Steve Parsons/Pool Photo via AP)
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
The campaign to remove the honorary title came amid the royal’s scandal involving his links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and Virginia Giuffre’s sexual assault trial.
Andrew remains the Duke of York as he retains the title bestowed upon him by the Queen, 96. However, York’s advisers called on the prince to relinquish this title.
“The next logical step now is for Prince Andrew to do the right thing and relinquish his title as Duke of York,” Smalley said. “If he doesn’t, the government and Buckingham Palace must step in to strip his title in order to end Prince Andrew’s connection to York.”
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In March, Queen Elizabeth II attended the service of thanksgiving for her late husband, Prince Philip, on the arm of their disgraced son.
(Getty Pictures)
In January, the Queen stripped Andrew of his military titles and patronage. He is still in the line of succession to the throne. He is currently ninth behind the two children of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. However, Andrew cannot use “His Royal Highness” in any capacity.
The title of Duke of York is traditionally held by the next brother in the line of succession behind the Prince or Princess of Wales. This title is held by Andrew’s brother, Prince Charles, who is the first to accede to the British throne.
On March 29, Andrew accompanied the Queen for a service of thanksgiving in honor of her late father, Prince Philip. The reigning monarch’s choice of escort has been seen as support for his son after settling a lawsuit related to his relationship with Epstein.
Andrew’s role underscored that he is still a member of the royal family, even after the scandal rocked the palace.
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A 2001 photo that was included in court records shows Prince Andrew with his arm around the waist of Virginia Giuffre, 17, who said Jeffrey Epstein paid her to have sex with the prince. Andrew denied the charges. In the background, Epstein’s girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell.
(United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit)
Andrew strenuously denied Giuffre’s allegations after she sued him. She has accused the British royal family of sexually assaulting her while traveling with Epstein in 2001, when she was 17.
Giuffre, 38, reached a settlement with Andrew after a judge rejected the prince’s bid to have the trial dismissed earlier this year.
In a letter to the judge from Giuffre’s lawyer, David Boies, a statement was included which said, in part, “Prince Andrew intends to make a substantial donation to Mrs Giuffre’s charity to support the rights of victims Prince Andrew never intended to slander Ms Giuffre’s character, and he accepts that she suffered both as a proven victim of abuse and as a result of public attacks unjust.”
According to the statement, Andrew acknowledged that Epstein trafficked “countless young girls” over many years and said the prince “regrets his association with Epstein and commends the bravery of Ms Giuffre and other survivors who defended and defended by others”.
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Prince Andrew, the Duke of York and Jeffrey Epstein (far right) at Ascot. With them are Edward (far left) and Caroline Stanley (in pink), the Earl and Countess of Derby.
(Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)
He also pledged to support the victims of sex trafficking as part of the expression of his regret.
Giuffre claimed to have met Andrew when she traveled frequently with Epstein between 2000 and 2002 when, according to her lawyers, she was “on call for Epstein for sexual purposes” and was “loaned to other powerful men”, including andrew.
Her lawsuit said she suffered significant emotional and psychological distress and harm. She claimed to have had sex with Andrew three times: in London on a trip in 2001, at Epstein’s New York mansion when she was 17, and in the Virgin Islands when she was 18 years.
Andrew has repeatedly denied Giuffre’s claims and said he does not recall ever meeting her, although a photograph of Giuffre and Andrew together in a London townhouse, his arm around her stomach naked, was included in Giuffre’s lawsuit against him.
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Virginia Roberts Giuffre holds a photo of herself at age 16 when she says Palm Beach multi-millionaire Jeffrey Epstein began sexually abusing her.
(Emily Michot/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Inconsistencies in her statements over the years that would have been pointed out by Andrew’s lawyers at trial may have motivated her, in part, to settle, although she explained them as innocent mistakes that occurred during recalling traumatic events years later.
Andrew has spent years battling concerns over his ties to Epstein, the American financier who killed himself aged 66 in 2019 in a federal prison in Manhattan while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Epstein’s longtime girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, was found guilty of related charges.
A settlement of Andrew’s lawsuit follows agreements made by Giuffre years ago to resolve separate lawsuits against Maxwell and Epstein. It was recently revealed that Epstein settled for $500,000.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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