On October 17, Prince Andrew made waves by declaring he would no longer go by his Duke of York title, all thanks to the swirling controversies involving him, his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, and the late Jeffrey Epstein. This has been a tough spot for him, as public pressure has been mounting for quite a while for him to ditch those royal titles. It seems that King Charles and Prince William were the main drivers of his decision, but another royal expert suggests that Princess Anne is just as fed up with her little brother.
According to Christopher Andersen, a royal biographer and author of Brothers and Wives, “Anne has been on Charles’s side for a long time. She’s just as done with Andrew as the King and William are.” Us Weekly reports that despite being ten years older, 75-year-old Anne is known for being humble, quick-witted, and dedicated to her duties, qualities that her younger brother sorely lacks. A palace source mentioned that Andrew is acutely aware of this, and it irritates him tremendously.
A palace aide shared that Anne signifies everything the royal family should represent—dedication and integrity. On the contrary, Andrew has lost all these virtues, making it tough for him to accept.
The same day, Andrew acknowledged that his connections to Epstein and the ongoing allegations against him have overshadowed the Royal Family’s good work.
In a statement, he admitted, “I’ve always believed in putting my responsibility to my family and my country first. I stand by my decision from five years back to step back from public life. With The King’s agreement, I feel it’s time to go a step further. Henceforth, I will no longer use my title or any honors I’ve received. I firmly deny the accusations made against me.”
Andersen pointed out that more revelations about Andrew’s entanglement with Epstein might be imminent, which makes his move to drop the titles seem like a strategy for damage control.
He also highlighted that William has been pushing their father, The King, to take action against Andrew for years. The Epstein scandal just won’t fade—the royals are bracing for the worst once the papers are unsealed.
Prince Andrew used to be regarded as Queen Elizabeth’s favorite and got away with a lot when she was alive. But things have changed quite a bit with his brother taking the helm.
Andersen remarked, “Andrew has this innate arrogance, so he usually pushes back whenever he’s called out by Charles. But with the growing number of scandals, he’s reluctantly coming to terms with the fact that he’s created a situation he can’t escape from.”
