Prince Andrew has lost his military roles and royal patronages amid a civil case relating to sexual abuse allegations.
On Thursday evening, a representative for Buckingham Palace announced that the Duke of York, Queen Elizabeth II's third child, had been stripped of his titles and patronages. He will also stop using the style His Royal Highness in an official capacity.
"With the Queen's approval and agreement, the Duke of York's military affiliations and Royal patronages have been returned to the Queen," they commented. "The Duke of York will continue not to undertake any public duties and is defending this case as a private citizen."
Officials offered no further details, though a source indicated to the BBC that the patronages will be reallocated to other members of the British royal family. Prince Andrew has not yet commented on the decision.
The 61-year-old is set to face a civil sexual abuse case in the U.S. after a judge refused to dismiss his accuser's lawsuit on Wednesday.
Last year, Virginia Giuffre filed a lawsuit against Prince Andrew, alleging he raped and sexually abused her when she was 17.
The 38-year-old claimed she was trafficked by late billionaire Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender, to have sex with influential men, including the royal.
Prince Andrew's lawyers argued that the case should be dismissed as Giuffre signed a confidential settlement with Epstein in 2009 in which she agreed not to sue any other possible defendants.
But this week, Judge Lewis A. Kaplan rejected their motion and ruled that the case should continue, meaning it could be heard in court later this year.
Prince Andrew has repeatedly denied the claims, most famously during an interview with BBC's Newsnight in late 2019.
