Prince Andrew STRIPPED of royal title and all military honours by Queen amid sex assault lawsuit shame

PRINCE Andrew has tonight been STRIPPED of his royal title and all military honours after a face-to-face showdown with the Queen.

The bombshell news was announced by Buckingham Palace this evening and comes amid growing anger at the Duke of York's sex assault lawsuit.

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His military affiliations and royal patronages have been returned to the Queen with immediate effect after he was accused of sexually assaulting Virginia Roberts Giuffre when she was just 17.

The Duke will also no longer be able to use 'His Royal Highness' - and will face his US lawsuit as a "private citizen" meaning he can't hide behind royal privileges. 

It comes after a judge sensationally gave the go-ahead for a civil trial before a jury in New York later this year.

The royal, 61, vehemently denies any wrongdoing.

The Queen cuts Andrew adrift...

• Prince Andrew has been stripped of all his military titles
• He will no longer be able to use 'His Royal Highness' in any official capacity
• He was told the decision in a face-to-face meeting with Her Majesty
• The decision was approved by the Queen - but discussed 'widely with the Royal Family'
• Andrew can't 'hide behind' his royal privledges and is fighting the sex abuse lawsuit 'as a private citizen'
• He will not undertake any public duties, the Palace confirmed
• Prince Andrew's former titles will be distributed among other members of the royal family

Buckingham Palace said in a statement this evening: "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."

The Queen confirmed the bombshell news to the world after telling Prince Andrew in a face-to-face meeting.

It comes two years after Prince Harry lost his royal title and patronages when he moved to the US with Meghan Markle. 

According to a source, today's decision to strip Andrew of his military titles was "widely discussed amongst the royal family."

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In time, his titles will be redistributed to other family members, according to a royal source.

He will also lose his formal royal title - meaning he can no longer refer to himself as His Royal Highness.

An insider close to the Duke insisted he would continue to defend himself against the allegations made in the lawsuit.

The source said: “Given the robustness with which Judge Kaplan greeted our arguments, we are unsurprised by the ruling.

"However, it was not a judgement on the merits of Ms Giuffre’s allegations. 

"This is a marathon not a sprint and the Duke will continue to defend himself against these claims.”

Andrew's titles had been suspended since he stepped down from public duties in 2019 amid fury at his friendship with paedo Jeffrey Epstein.

ONE IS NOT AMUSED

But until today, the Duke retained his roles - which left eight British regiments in limbo more than two years on.

His honours included Colonel of the Grenadier Guards, Honorary air commodore of RAF Lossiemouth and Deputy colonel-in-chief of The Royal Lancers (Queen Elizabeth's Own).

Andrew had not attended a single military event since he stepped back from royal duties two years ago.

Earlier today, veterans from the Royal Navy, RAF and Army called for Andrew's military honours to be taken away.

The 152 ex-services personnel have signed an open letter to the Queen, which was released through anti-monarchy group Republic.

They have described their "upset and anger" at Andrew keeping his titles as his position is "untenable".

The group also say the royal has brought the services he is associated with into disrepute and "were this any other senior military officer it is inconceivable that he would still be in post".

They add: "Please do not leave it any longer."

Prince Andrew denies claims Giuffre was forced to have sex him more than 20 years ago at Ghislaine Maxwell's London home when she was just 17.

Her allegations have dogged Andrew since she first made them in 2011, when a now infamous photograph emerged of him with his hand around her.

Giuffre’s feared lawyer David Boies will grill the royal in front of jurors under oath - and could also question Andrew’s former wife, Sarah, Duchess of York, and their daughter Princess Beatrice.

The ruling is the latest setback for Andrew, who has tried to disassociate himself from Maxwell and her paedo ex Jeffrey Epstein.

Senior royal aides are all urging Andrew to settle as soon as possible to prevent him from dragging the “whole monarchy through the mud”.

NO MORE HRH

And Andrew is set to pay £10million from the sale of his Swiss chalet in an out-of-court settlement with his accuser Giuffre, The Sun reported today.

Meanwhile, royal experts have said that returning his military titles was "right" considering the hot water Prince Andrew is in.

Royal author and former government minister Norman Baker said:
"It is absolutely right that Andrew has now returned his military titles to the Queen.

"It had become an embarrassment all round, not least for the military, for him to continue for example to be colonel-in-chief of the Grenadier Guards.

"The fact that the Palace is now describing him as a private citizen in respect of his court case tells us he has well and truly been chucked under the royal bus, yet the royal family cannot escape the immense damage that will increase as the American court case progresses.

"Can he now even stay as Duke of York, or having been marched up that hill by the Queen, will he be marched down again?"

Royal expert Dickie Arbiter told GB News: "I’m not surprised. I think the Palace was really holding fire until Judge Kaplan made his decision there was a point on their part to do anything before that. 

"It’s the right decision to take, the regiments were getting concerned."

Royal author Angela Levin said the Duke of Cambridge and Duke of Cornwall would have been "furious"; with the Duke of York for bringing the Royal Family into disrepute. 

'EXTRAORDINARY DECISION'

Angela Levin told The Sun Online: “If the Queen asked Prince Charles and Prince William they would have been very firm, Prince William and Prince Charles have been absolutely furious with him bringing the Royal Family into disrepute.

"Whatever he may or may not have done he certainly was a friend of Epstein and invited him to parties, royal parties when they knew he had been accused of having relationships with underage girls.

"So there’s no doubt about that. I would imagine that this time the Queen would also listen to her aides.

"But she also has strong views so if she didn’t want to do it, she wouldn’t have done it - she obviously felt they’d crossed a red line."

Angela Levin added: "I am astonished that the Palace has operated so quickly.

"I think they must be absolutely furious with him - because they haven’t just put aside the HRH title, they have said he’s got to face the case as a private citizen and I think that is capital letters for him as to how he must now behave and take it seriously.

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"But now it's like having cold water thrown in your face to wake you up.

"I also felt the Palace had to act very fast because this anti-monarchy group that’s got former members of the navy and the army writing to the Queen herself saying they don’t want him to carry on being patron."

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