In the early hours of Thursday, Prince Andrew had a difficult conversation with his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, that changed his life forever.
The British prince, already having a tough week, discovered that he was being stripped of all his military titles and charities.
Palace sources told the Daily Mail that the Queen, Prince Charles, and Prince William took the “ruthless and swift” decision to summon Prince Andrew for a 90-minute meeting.
During the painful face-to-face at Windsor Castle, Queen Elizabeth explained to her son that as of immediately, he would no longer be known as His Royal Highness “in any official capacity.”
Her Majesty explained that he would not be receiving any funding to fight the humiliating lawsuit filed against him in the United States.
He will have to face an American judge as a private citizen. Elizabeth II, 95, was forking over around $323,000 a year to her son so he could pay for his legal defense.
The 61-year-old father of two has been hit with a sex-assault lawsuit brought against him by Virginia Roberts Giuffre.
Giuffre previously claimed in court documents and during interviews that she was forced to have sex with Andrew when she was 17 while being kept as a sex slave by the prince’s former friends, Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
It is being claimed that Andrew will fight the accusation relentlessly and will not settle.
His decision to take on Epstein’s victim implies that more embarrassing details will be made public during the epic court battle.
The major development from Buckingham Palace came just days after news broke that Prince Andrew would likely be traveling to New York to face a sexual assault case.
The statement released by the Palace indicates that it was approved by Queen Elizabeth.
It read: “With The Queen’s approval and agreement, The Duke of York’s military affiliations and Royal patronages have been returned to the Queen. The Duke of York will continue not to undertake any public duties and is defending this case as a private citizen.”
Royal reporter Emily Nash went on to share additional information on the matter: “Andrew will no longer use His Royal Highness title in any official capacity. Royal sources say matter has been widely discussed within the family. The titles will be redistributed among other family members and will not return to the Duke of York.”
A royal source told the British publication that Prince Charles and his son, Prince William, were “instrumental” in the decision because “this is about the survival of the institution at all costs. Always has been and always will be.”
Another senior palace source spoke to Page Six and explained the statement about Andrew shows how Queen Elizabeth feels about Prince Harry and Meghna Markle.
The high-ranking aide said: “The difference between the statement that the Queen made about Harry and Meghan and Andrew could not be more telling.”
In early 2020, after Prince Harry and his wife, Markle, stepped down from their royal duties, Queen Elizabeth said in a statement: “While all are saddened by their decision, The Duke and Duchess remain much-loved members of the family.”
Some observers say this might be a turning point for the royal family.
