By Lucy Caulkett-
The MP Of York’s call on Prince Andrew to give up the Duke of York title after agreeing to settle the civil sex assault claim against him is excessive.
The 61-year-old relinquished his honorary military roles and his HRH style in January at the order of the queen, following claims he sexually assaulted Virginia Giuffre.
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Now York MP Rachael Maskell has called for Prince Andrew to give up his association with the city completely, overlooking the fact the allegation did not develop to the evidential stage in court before a settlement was reached.
The Labour MP said Prince Andrew called on the prince to show “respect for those affected by abuse and the people of our city” by the “withdrawal of his ducal title”, however the presumption of innocence until proven guilty in a court of law remains. Prince Andrew already faces the shame of having his name dragged through the mud and the queen as Head Of The Monarch has decided how much of his titles should be stripped from him.
Prince Andrew became Duke of York, a title bestowed on the monarch’s second son, following his marriage in 1986. Prior to that the title was held by both the Queen’s father, George VI, and her grandfather, George V. The title is based on his biological connection to the Queen and is not based on merit.
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Prince Andrew would have literally lost everything had the case proceeded to trial and been proved against him. Senior members of the royal family moved quickly to pressurize the shamed Duke of York to settle the case and risk the eternal harm to him and the monarchy that could accompany a full blown trial. The high risk of such a case overshadowing the Queen’s jubilee later this year also had to be avoided.
Criticism against the Prince for his association with disgraced billionaire Jeffrey Epstein who committed suicide in jail while serving time for multiple sexual abuses is inevitable, and speculation may forever be made as to his potential guilt over the allegations made against him.
The facts remain that the case did not proceed to trial because of the huge settlement agreed by Prince Andrew, and his insistence of innocence means he has not and will never be proven guilty of this horrible crime. His name is permanently stained, but the call to strip him of the one title he has left is without justification.
The prince gave up a number of his patronages in both the city and the county after stepping down from royal duties in 2019.
These included his role with the York Minster Fund and the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.
Prince Andrew has repeatedly denied the allegation against him in the US, claiming he sexually assaulted her on three occasions when she was 17 – which Prince Andrew repeatedly denied.
A statement from their lawyers said the duke would pay an undisclosed sum to Ms Giuffre and make a “substantial donation” to her charity in support of victims’ rights.
The duke also pledged to “demonstrate his regret for his association” with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein by supporting the “fight against the evils of sex trafficking, and by supporting its victims”.
Ms Maskell welcomed the duke’s pledge to donate money to Ms Giuffre’s charity but said his relationship with Epstein had caused “deep hurt and embarrassment” to York residents.
She said: “Although it is a relief that Prince Andrew has finally acknowledged and expressed regret for his close association with a convicted sex offender and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, his long delay in doing so and initial response to the charges and Ms Giuffre have been source of deep hurt and embarrassment to many people across the city.
“Carrying a title does create an ambassadorial relationship with that place, and for somewhere with a global reputation, such as York, this is extremely important.”
The prince gave up a number of his patronages in both the city and the county after stepping down from royal duties in 2019.
These included his role with the York Minster Fund and the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.
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