Prince Andrew is facing a U.S. civil sexual assault lawsuit.
Less than two weeks ago, Prince Andrew lost his honorary titles at Royal Portrush, Royal Belfast and Royal County Down golf clubs in Northern Ireland. Now he given up his honorary membership at the prestigious Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, where he had a 30-year association, as he battles allegations of sexual abuse.
The club in St. Andrews, Scotland, announced the move Friday. The club is set to host the 150th Open Championship in July. Prince Andrew was a member of the club since 1992 and was captain of the R&A in 2003 and 2004.
Prince Andrew, 61, previously lost honorary military titles and roles with charitable organizations as he faces a U.S. civil lawsuit filed by a woman who says she was forced to have sex with him when she was 17. Known as the Duke of York, Prince Andrew is denying the allegations. He has asked for a jury trial in the case filed in federal court in New York, according to the Associated Press. A judge has already rejected an attempt to have the case dismissed.
The removal his titles and positions was taken with the “approval and agreement” of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, Buckingham Palace said in a statement Jan. 13, according to the AP.
Buckingham Palace: “The Duke of York’s military affiliations and royal patronages have been returned to the Queen.”
Amid a civil sexual assault case, Prince Andrew has lost his honorary titles at Royal Portrush, Royal Belfast and Royal County Down golf clubs in Northern Ireland, according to a report by Belfast Live.
It’s part of a bigger move to strip him of his royal patronages by the Queen. Buckingham Palace has also announced that he has lost his honorary military roles.
A statement from the Palace said: “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.”
This came on the heels of a ruling by a judge last Wednesday that Virginia Giuffre’s lawsuit against Prince Andrew could proceed. Giuffre claims Andrew’s friend Jeffrey Epstein forced her to have sex with the royal three times when she was 17. Prince Andrew denies the allegations.
“There will be immense relief by members that this decision has been taken out of their hands,” a source close to the Royal Portrush and Royal County Down golf clubs told Belfast Live.
At least two clubs have distanced themselves from Prince Andrew in the wake of his reputed involvement in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.
Royal Portrush Golf Club, site of this year’s British Open in July, is considering seeking a new patron after Prince Andrew stepped back from public life and his royal duties in the wake of his reputed involvement in the Jeffrey Epstein sex-abuse scandal.
The Daily Telegraph reported that Royal Portrush plans to discuss the Duke of York’s involvement at the club in Northern Ireland at its next meeting. His patron role at Royal Portrush was largely as a publicity figurehead.
“The allegations surrounding Prince Andrew, and especially the trauma and distress suffered by the victims of Jeffrey Epstein is a matter of deep regret,” the club said in a statement obtained by the Daily Telegraph. “Royal Portrush will continue to monitor the ongoing investigative process. There are no scheduled plans for him to return to the club.
“The council of Royal Portrush is acutely aware of the widespread public concern about these allegations, and Prince Andrew’s decision to step away from public duties will be discussed at our next meeting.”
Prince Andrew, Duke of York (center) watches the third round of the British Open at Royal Portrush on July 20, 2019. (Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
Prince Andrew also has ties to Royal Liverpool Golf Club, host site for the 2022 British Open. The Daily Telegraph also reported that club will “not call upon” Andrew’s services during his exile.
Andrew is also a member of the R&A, the ruling body for golf in much of the world and the organization that puts on the British Open. The R&A would confirm only that he was a member to the Daily Telegraph. Andrew was captain of that club in 2003 during its 250th anniversary.
USA TODAY reported that Virginia Roberts Giuffre has repeatedly said she was groomed by Epstein and his associates to sexually service Epstein’s powerful friends, including Prince Andrew, when she was a teen. Andrew has denied the accusation, but he announced Wednesday that he was halting his public duties because “my former association with Jeffrey Epstein has become a major disruption to my family’s work.”
“Therefore, I have asked Her Majesty if I may step back from public duties for the foreseeable future, and she has given her permission,” Queen Elizabeth II’s second son said in a statement released Wednesday by Buckingham Palace.
USA TODAY also reported that Andrew’s resignation comes on the heels of a recent controversial interview with the BBC in which he said he doesn’t remember meeting Giuffre, despite a picture of the two, he with his arm around her waist, that has been floating around the internet since at least 2011.
“Our clients welcome Prince Andrew’s decision to withdraw from public life as a member of England’s royal family,” read a statement to USA TODAY from Sigrid McCawley and the law firm Boies Schiller, which is representing Giuffre and other women. “It is a positive first step towards taking responsibility for his actions.”
USA TODAY also reported that as Andrew’s connection to Epstein made headlines in recent months, corporate sponsors started to pull their support and distance themselves from the prince’s Pitch@Palace networking initiative, which connects entrepreneurs with various business leaders. Companies that have ditched Andrew include Cisco Systems, KPMG and AstraZeneca.
