The royal titles of Prince Andrew were removed from a birthday message by Buckingham Palace, which was posted to Twitter last week.
Prince Andrew marked his 61st birthday on February 19th, and his absence as a working member of the royal family did not stop Buckingham Palace from noting the occasion on social media.
Prince Andrew ceased to be a working member of the royal family following news of his association with late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in 2019.
However, his 61st birthday earlier this month did not pass by without acknowledgment from the royal family, as Buckingham Palace posted on their official Twitter account to wish the Queen‘s son a happy birthday using a picture where he was being held by Queen Elizabeth II.
The post was accompanied by black and white photographs of Prince Andrew in the Queen’s arms outside Buckingham Palace and another on the Palace’s balcony.
There was also a picture of the official announcement of Prince Andrew’s birth in 1960.
#OnThisDay in 1960 The Queen was safely delivered of a son, the first child born to a reigning Monarch since 1857.
?Her Majesty is pictured holding Prince Andrew in 1961 on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, alongside The Duke of Edinburgh, Princess Anne and The Queen Mother. pic.twitter.com/Jm2EZGJWOE
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) February 19, 2021
The statement read: “#OnThisDay in 1960 The Queen was safely delivered of a son, the first child born to a reigning Monarch since 1857. Her Majesty is pictured holding Prince Andrew in 1961 on Buckingham Palace’s balcony, alongside The Duke of Edinburgh, Princess Anne, and The Queen Mother.”
Royal fans and commentators quickly noticed that Prince Andrew’s royal titles were not included in the birthday message.
Many slammed the royal family for the way they are treating Prince Andrew despite being embroiled in a disturbing scandal.
A social media user wrote: “So when will the Queen be stripping Andrew of his military honors and patronages?? History will remember your treatment of the Sussex’s v Andrew and it won’t be kind.”
“Holding onto the Boy in certain ways, hey! Face with rolling eyes. Don’t mind what was brought upon their Grandson’s mother…..just protect this Boy at all costs! No wonder one Grandson left! Grimacing face,” claimed an angry royal fan.
There was no mention of his official title, the Duke of York, which has not been officially removed.
Jeffrey Epstein allegedly killed himself in prison after being arrested in July 2019. Months later, Prince Andrew gave an interview which backfired and caused major controversy for the royal family.
He stepped down from his role days afterward, releasing a statement that spoke of disruption to the royal family and to the charities he supported.
When compared with the birthday messages for other royals, it becomes even more puzzling whether Prince Andrew has been stripped of his titles.
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, turned 39 last month, and the hashtag #HappyBirthdayHRH was included in the official Twitter post from Buckingham Palace.
The same hashtag was used for Prince Andrew for his birthday back in 2019, before his infamous interview following the Epstein scandal.
