- On October 17, Prince Andrew announced that he was forfeiting his Duke of York title—which he’d held for 39 years—amid continued scandal that engulfs him.
- His ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, also relinquished her Duchess of York title, which she retained even after their 1996 divorce.
- The former couple also quietly gave up two other royal titles, as well.
In news that very few royal followers missed, Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson relinquished their Duke and Duchess of York titles late last week amid continuing uproar about their association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. What many may have missed? They also quietly gave up two other royal titles, as well.
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When the couple married on July 23, 1986, Queen Elizabeth conferred upon them the prestigious Duke and Duchess of York titles—typically given to the second son of the monarch and his wife—but also two lesser-known titles, as well. When British royals marry and are given titles, they’re typically given not just one, but three: one from England, one from Scotland, and one from Ireland. On his wedding day 39 years ago, Andrew was also made Earl of Inverness (Scotland) and Baron Killyleagh (Northern Ireland); Ferguson, in turn, became the Countess of Inverness and Baroness Killyleagh. Per Hello!, the latter two titles for both Andrew and Ferguson are also now forfeited.
In the bombshell decision on October 17, Andrew also gave up his membership in the prestigious Order of the Garter, which he was appointed to in 2006.
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“In discussion with The King, and my immediate and wider family, we have concluded the continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family,” Andrew said in a statement on Friday. “I have decided, as I always have, to put my duty to my family and country first. I stand by my decision five years ago to stand back from public life.”
“With His Majesty’s agreement, we feel I must now go a step further,” Andrew continued. “I will therefore no longer use my title or the honors which have been conferred upon me. As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me.”
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Royal biographer Andrew Lownie, who wrote the book Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, described Andrew’s fall from grace as “the worst crisis in living memory” for the British royal family on Hello!’s “A Right Royal Podcast.”
“People want to see Andrew properly stripped of all of his honors and titles, treated as an ordinary citizen,” Lownie said. “They also want him out of Royal Lodge [his 30-room mansion that he lives in with ex-wife Ferguson], and if investigations do take place—as I hope they do—they must be properly conducted.”
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In an interview with Sky News back in August, Lownie said of Andrew that “What most annoys him is his lack of a royal status. That’s what really sort of gave him his whole sense of identity. And that’s, you know, it’s not being able to put on his uniforms and strut around being self-important.”
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