Prince Andrew’s Victim’s Family Welcomes Loss of Duke of York Title as ‘Vindication’

The family of Virginia Giuffre, the woman who accused Prince Andrew of sexual assault, has welcomed the prince’s decision to relinquish his Duke of York title, describing it as a long-awaited vindication for the late victim.

Prince Andrew, 65, formally gave up his royal title on Friday under pressure from his brother, King Charles III, who is reportedly seeking to put an end to the controversy that has long cast a shadow over the British monarchy.

Speaking to the BBC, Giuffre’s brother said their family felt a mix of emotions following the announcement.

“We have shed a lot of happy and sad tears today,” he said. “I think happy because in a lot of ways this vindicates Virginia. All the years of work that she put in is now coming to some sort of justice.”

Giuffre, who died by suicide at her farm in Western Australia in April, accused Andrew of sexually assaulting her when she was 17 — allegations the prince has repeatedly denied.

Despite stepping back from public duties in 2019 following widespread backlash over his friendship with convicted US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Andrew will retain his prince title, as the second son of the late Queen Elizabeth II.

The prince’s association with Epstein has continued to damage his public image, particularly after a 2019 BBC interview in which he defended his relationship with the disgraced financier.

While Andrew claimed he severed ties with Epstein in 2010, UK media reports this week cited a 2011 exchange where Andrew allegedly told Epstein they were “in this together” after a photo surfaced showing the prince with his arm around Giuffre. He reportedly added that the two would “play together soon.”

Epstein died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking of minors.

Fresh allegations have surfaced in Giuffre’s posthumous memoir, “Nobody’s Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice,” set to be released next week. In it, she reportedly wrote that Andrew acted as though having sex with her was his “birthright,” and claimed they had sex on three occasions, including when she was underage.

Prince Andrew has consistently denied the claims and avoided a civil trial by reaching a multimillion-dollar settlement with Giuffre in 2022.

Once celebrated as a Royal Navy helicopter pilot during the 1982 Falklands War, Andrew was stripped of his military titles in 2022 amid mounting public pressure.

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