Prince Andrew to give up Duke of York title and royal honours

Prince Andrew announced Friday that he will stop using his remaining royal titles and honours, including the Duke of York, after discussions with King Charles and other family members, saying the decision was intended to prevent continued accusations against him from distracting from the work of the monarchy. In a statement released by Buckingham Palace, the prince said he had already stood back from public life and, with the king’s agreement, would "go a step further" and "no longer use my title or the honours which have been conferred upon me." He added that he "vigorously deny[s] the accusations against me."

Under the arrangement, Andrew will retain his birthright as a prince but will cease to use the Dukedom of York and will give up membership of the Order of the Garter and his knighthood as a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order. The dukedom cannot be removed except by an act of parliament, meaning any formal stripping of the title would require legislative action; the monarch can, however, remove chivalric honours.

The move follows renewed scrutiny of Andrew’s ties to the late convicted offender Jeffrey Epstein and comes days before the planned publication of...