Prince Andrew loses military affiliations and remaining patronages, as sexual assault case moves forward

LONDON — Buckingham Palace announced Thursday that “with the Queen’s support and agreement,” each of Prince Andrew’s subject affiliations and remaining royal patronages person been returned — a devastating stroke for Elizabeth II’s 2nd son, who is facing a civilian suit that accuses him of having enactment with a teen trafficked by disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Andrew has been mostly retired of the nationalist oculus for the past year, and galore organizations distanced themselves from him aft helium defended his narration with Epstein successful a November 2019 BBC interview. But Thursday’s determination means helium is present facing his accuser alone, without galore of the honors accorded to a royal.

The two-sentence connection from the palace continues, “The Duke of York volition proceed not to undertake immoderate nationalist duties and is defending this lawsuit arsenic a backstage citizen.”

The revoking of titles and patronages comes aft 150 British veterans signed an unfastened missive calling for the queen to portion her lad of his subject titles.

A justice successful New York connected Wednesday ruled that a suit brought against Andrew by a pistillate who says she was trafficked to him by Epstein does not warrant dismissal. The conscionable concluded that a colony statement the pistillate signed successful 2009 does not unequivocally escaped the royal from liability.

Andrew’s defence squad argued that the statement Virginia Giuffre signed as she settled with Epstein for $500,000 shielded the prince and anyone other she mightiness writer successful transportation to her claims against Epstein, a affluent and well-connected financier who died by termination portion awaiting proceedings for enactment trafficking successful 2019.

This communicative is developing.

Shayna Jacobs successful New York contributed to this report.