
Will Prince Andrew Lose His Royal Protection Like Prince Harry? Inside the Embattled Royal's Life After Giving Up His Titles

Prince Andrew relinquished his royal titles and honors amid mounting controversy over his ties to the late convicted s-- offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Oct. 20 2025, Published 7:33 a.m. ET
Prince Andrew Gave Up His Royal Titles

Prince Andrew decided to give up his royal titles amid scrutiny over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
Prince Andrew has decided to give up his royal titles and honors amid the controversy surrounding his friendship with disgraced financier and convicted s-- offender Jeffrey Epstein.
In a statement released through Buckingham Palace, the embattled royal announced, "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. 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. 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," the message added.
Prince Andrew Is Still Allowed to Keep One Title

Prince Andrew also agreed to stop using his Duke of York title.
With the decision, Prince Andrew will no longer use the Duke of York title and his honors, including Royal Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter and Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO). He received the Duke of York title when he married Sarah Ferguson in 1986, and it can only be formally removed by an act of parliament.
Prince Andrew still retains the "prince" title, which was bestowed on him at birth as Queen Elizabeth II's son.
The decision came years after he stopped using the style His Royal Highness and was stripped of his military titles and charity patronages in 2022.
Prince Andrew Will Seemingly Continue to Receive Royal Protection

Prince Harry attempted to overturn a decision that downgraded his security protection.
- Prince William Considers His Uncle Prince Andrew a 'Threat' After Being Embroiled in Scandals: 'Reputational Risk to the Monarchy'
- Prince Andrew Being Investigated for Asking Officer to Dig Up Dirt on Virginia Giuffre, Newly Published Emails Reveal
- Prince Andrew Allegedly Roped Virginia Giuffre Into 1-Year Gag Order to Avoid 'Tarnishing' the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee
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Following the development, a royal expert explained whether Prince Andrew would still be able to enjoy royal protection after giving up his titles.
"Even though he, like [Prince] Harry, is no longer a working royal, it appears that he will continue to receive royal protection," Christopher Andersen told Us Weekly. "[Prince Andrew] lives on the grounds of Windsor Great Park, not far from the rest of the family, so it goes with the territory."
In April, Prince Harry lost his appeal over the levels of security he and his family are entitled to while in the U.K. He initially applied to retain his and Meghan Markle's government-funded security after they relocated to the U.S. with their two children.
"The U.K. is my birthplace and will always be a part of who I am. It is a place I love, and the country where my son was born," he said. "I've only ever wanted to continue my charitable work in supporting the causes and people that mean so much to me, and for my children to know the beauty of my homeland."
Prince Harry added, "I remain committed to a life of public service. This has been and will always be, my life's work, and when you strip away the noise, you'll be able to hear, all I've been asking for is safety."
Prince Andrew Under Investigation for Enlisting an Officer to Find Dirt on Virginia Giuffre

Prince Andrew has 'vigorously' denied all allegations against him.
After losing his titles and honors, Prince Andrew found himself in hot water again after newly published emails revealed he asked an officer to dig up dirt on Virginia Giuffre.
According to the Mail on Sunday, Prince Andrew informed his mother's press secretary in 2011 that he provided Giuffre's U.S. Social Security numbers and date of birth to an officer to get dirt on her. He also asked his Metropolitan Police personal protection officers to investigate Giuffre before their infamous photograph, in which he was seen wrapping his arm around her waist, was unearthed in 2011.
"It would also seem she has a criminal record in the States," the royal prince allegedly wrote. "I have given her DoB and social security number for investigation with [name redacted], the on-duty PPO."
Prince William Planning a 'More Ruthless' Approach

A report claimed Prince William is not satisfied with the outcome concerning Prince Andrew.
Once Prince William becomes king, he will adopt a tougher stance than King Charles III toward his disgraced uncle, The Sunday Times reported.
According to the report, the first in line to the throne wants to ban Prince Andrew from "all elements of royal life" when he succeeds the throne.
"He will be excluded from public and private royal events, including the coronation, and banned from most state occasions," a source said of Prince Andrew.
The future king reportedly believes his uncle is a "threat" and "a reputational risk to the monarchy, and is understood to be concerned about the message Andrew's presence at royal events sends to victims of sexual abuse."
Prince William will also ban Fergie from all royal events, according to The Sunday Times.