Prince Andrew surrenders royal titles as Epstein scandal continues to rage

In a major development regarding Prince Andrew’s public disgrace, King Charles’ younger brother has relinquished his royal titles, including the Dukedom of York, following further discussions.

“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,” his official statement on the matter began.

Declaring his decision in view of his “duty to my family and country first” and “His Majesty’s agreement”, Andrew confirmed, “I will therefore no longer use my title or the honours which have been conferred upon me.”

However, he also made a point to maintain his previous assertions and concluded the statement with the claim, “I vigorously deny the accusations against me.”

While Andrew only named his elder brother, the monarch, in his statement, BBC reported that the decision “was made in consultation with Prince William as well as the King.”

Meanwhile, the withdrawal of his titles comes following an e-mail leak from 2011, when the royal was found sending a friendly correspondence to his former acquaintance and convict, Jeffrey Epstein. His public image was reeling from the scandal when the release of excerpts from one of his most vocal victims, the deceased Virginia Giuffre’s memoir, further doomed him.

Titled Nobody’s Girl, Giuffre claims in her posthumous book, “Prince Andrew believed having sex with me was his birthright.”

While contemporary historian, Anthony Seldon, has described Prince Andrew’s latest move as a “decisive moment” for the future of British monarchy. “Looking historically, this is a very, very significant step,” he said.