A royal analyst suggested that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have created a clear “precedent” for the Queen to follow with Prince Andrew.
Prince Andrew is currently involved in a civil sex assault case with Virginia Guiffre, his accuser. Ms. Giuffre has filed a lawsuit against the prince, alleging that he sexually attacked her when she was 17 years old and a minor in some US states. The Duke has categorically denied the charges, but his continuous legal battles have spurred discussion over whether he should keep his titles and position in the future.
On The Jeremy Vine Show, royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams discussed the Duke of York’s titles.
Mr. Fitzwilliams said: “I would have thought in the circumstance of Andrew losing his title, we’re looking perhaps at a precedent which is very different but might work.
“When Harry and Meghan stepped down as senior working royals, they were allowed to keep their HRH titles, but they weren’t allowed to use them.
“I would add, however – he was attached to 230 charities – he still has links with a large number of charities, there are these military links, and there is no question whatsoever what everyone would think that these royal links if he lost the case, would be inappropriate.”
He continued: “The problem is if he wins the case, here’s the difficulty, you’ve had a car crash interview that so many people have seen, where he showed absolutely no empathy to the victims of Epstein at all, you’ve got the fact that he was not only friends with Epstein but now the convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell.
“You’ve also got the fact that so far he hasn’t cooperated with the FBI – at least reportedly not – when they’re trying to trace Epstein’s accomplices.”
Since his 1986 wedding to Sarah Ferguson, when the Queen bestowed the title on her second-born son, Prince Andrew has been the Duke of York.
Despite their departure from the Royal Family, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle continue to refer to themselves as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
Following the conviction of Epstein’s partner, Ghislaine Maxwell, last week, speculation regarding the Duke of York’s future was revived.
The 60-year-old was found guilty of five of the six charges she faced, including s*x trafficking a kid, which was the most serious.
A 12-person jury in New York made the decision after five days of deliberation.
The decision came after a high-profile trial in which four women testified about being assaulted by Epstein between 1994 and 2004.
As per Express, Maxwell is said to have shown no emotion when the judgment was read out last Wednesday, only pouring herself a glass of water and sipping from it twice.
Annie Farmer, one of the women who testified against Maxwell, stated: “I am so relieved and grateful that the jury recognized her pattern of predatory behavior.
“I hope that this verdict brings solace to all who need it and demonstrates that no one is above the law,” she said.
