(AFP) – The recent decision to remove Prince Andrew’s royal title has been described by the family of the alleged sexual assault victim as a form of “vindication.” This follows new revelations regarding his ties to notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
At 65, Andrew relinquished his Duke of York title on Friday, responding to pressure from his brother, King Charles III, who aims to address the embarrassment caused to the royal family by the ongoing scandal.
The sibling of Virginia Giuffre, who has claimed that Andrew assaulted her when she was just 17, expressed pride in the recent development during a BBC interview. “We shed a lot of happy tears and sad tears today,” he shared with viewers late Friday.
“In many ways, this feels like vindication for Virginia, and I’m genuinely pleased that the hard work she’s done over the years is finally being acknowledged,” he continued.
Despite stepping back from public life in 2019 amid the Epstein controversy, Andrew retains his title of prince as he is the second son of the late Queen Elizabeth II. The situation has brought significant embarrassment to his brother, Charles, especially after Andrew defended his relationship with Epstein in a 2019 interview.
During that interview, Andrew claimed that Giuffre had distanced herself from Epstein in 2010, suggesting she was using him as a “sex slave.” However, recent reports have revealed that Andrew allegedly told Epstein in 2011 that “they were together” when a photo surfaced showing him with his arm around Giuffre.
He further indicated at that time that “the two will be playing together soon.”
Epstein, who was awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges concerning minors, died by suicide in a New York prison in 2019. Giuffre, a citizen of both the US and Australia, took her own life on April 25 at her farm in Western Australia.
New allegations have come to light this week in a memoir set to be published soon, in which Giuffre claims that Andrew behaved as though having sexual relations with her was his “birthright.” In her upcoming book, *Nobody’s Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice*, she states that she had sex with Andrew on three occasions, including one when he was underage.
Andrew has consistently denied Giuffre’s allegations and managed to avoid a civil trial by settling for millions of dollars. Once celebrated for his role as a Royal Navy helicopter pilot during the 1982 Falklands War, he was stripped of his military title in 2022.
