Because of his ties to convicted sex offenders Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, Prince Andrew was deprived of his position as a freeman of the City of York on Wednesday.
At City of York, Councillors unanimously opted to revoke the honor bestowed on him in 1987 during a special meeting in northern England. ITV reported that councilors unanimously agreed to deprive the 62-year-old of his Freedom of the City of York distinction during a meeting at York Racecourse on Wednesday night.
Prince Andrew Stripped of Freedom of City Honor
The Duke of York, Queen Elizabeth II's third child, was bestowed the title in 1987, shortly after his marriage to ex-wife Sarah Ferguson. A spokesman for Buckingham Palace did not immediately reply to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
The push to have the honorary title removed coincided with the royal's involvement with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's links to Virginia Giuffre's sexual assault case. Prince Andrew retains the title of Duke of York, which the queen conferred upon him. York councilors, on the other hand, have called on the prince to resign his title.
Andrew's military titles and patronages were removed from him by the queen in January. He is still a member of the throne's line of succession. He is presently ranked ninth, behind the two children of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Andrew, on the other hand, is not permitted to refer to himself as 'His Royal Highness.'
The Duke of York title is generally held by the Prince or Princess of Wales's next sibling in line of succession. Prince Charles, Andrew's brother and the first in line to the British throne, has that title. Prince Andrew, together with the queen, attended a thanksgiving ceremony remembering his late father, Prince Philip, on March 29. The choice of escort by the reigning queen was seen as support for her son after he resolved a lawsuit related to his relationship with Epstein.
Prince Andrew's Settlement With Virginia Giuffre
Even after the palace was shaken by the scandal, Prince Andrew's involvement demonstrated that he is still a member of the royal family. After Giuffre sued him, Prince Andrew vehemently disputed her charges. She claimed the British royal sexually abused her while she was 17 and traveling with Epstein in 2001.
After a court denied Andrew's request for early dismissal of the lawsuit earlier this year, Giuffre, 38, agreed with him. According to the statement, Prince Andrew admitted that Epstein exploited countless young girls over a long period and expressed remorse for his connection with Epstein. He also praised Giuffre and other survivors for speaking out for themselves and others, according to Fox News.
Despite reports that the Duke would depart because he couldn't afford to keep the house without help, a royal insider said it's now extremely improbable that he will. This new humiliation might be the Palace's next action in response to calls for Andrew to relinquish his Duke of York title and cut ties with the city.
He is the first VIP to lose his firemanship since Jimmy Savile's freedom of Scarborough was taken away when information about his heinous crimes was made public after his death in 2011. In February, only days after Andrew's settlement was disclosed, councilors stated that they would try to withdraw his freedom of the city of York. The decision was decided during a meeting convened on Wednesday evening at York Racecourse.
It was a far cry from the outpouring of support he received when he was honored. In 1987, around 200,000 people flocked to the old city's streets to witness Andrew's inauguration as the Freedom of York. After every family in the city was encouraged to apply for tickets, a mob gathered outside York Minster yelled "we want Fergie." The award, which dates back hundreds of years and recognizes persons of distinction who have made significant contributions to the city, is given out annually, The Sun reported.
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