The Queen Wants Prince Andrew To Keep His Military Role Amid Ongoing Sex Abuse Claims, Insiders Report

The Queen has reportedly asked that Prince Andrew be allowed to keep his honorary military title, as calls mount for the royal to withdraw from public life.

Prince Andrew has been absent from royal duties since 2019 and is facing renewed pressure following a civil lawsuit filed by his alleged victim, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, which formally accuses him of sexually abusing and raping her when she was a teenager.

In the wake of the lawsuit, it’s been reported that military officials believe Prince Andrew’s position as Colonel of the Grenadier Guards – an honorary title he inherited from his father, Prince Philip – is ‘not tenable or viable.’

Yet removing the prince from his role would require the approval of the Queen – who commands the military – and, according to one source, that appears unlikely.

The Queen has let it be known to the regiment that she wants the Duke of York to remain as colonel, and the feeling is that nobody wants to do anything that could cause upset to the colonel-in-chief.

It is a very difficult, unsatisfactory situation.

His position is not tenable or viable. How can you have a colonel who can’t perform the role? For the brief time he was in post, he was a good colonel, but the feeling across the regiment is that it’s not appropriate to retain him. You can’t have a colonel who can’t do public duties.

In a statement, Buckingham Palace said there had been no update to Prince Andrew’s titles, but added he would not be active in his military roles ‘for the foreseeable future.’

Giuffre – who says she was a trafficking victim of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell – alleges she was raped and sexually abused by Prince Andrew after meeting with him on three separate occasions in 2001, when she was 17.

The prince has denied the allegations and has not publicly commented on Giuffre’s lawsuit, which could see him forced to testify under oath or risk being found guilty in absentia by the court.

If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact the Rape Crisis England and Wales helpline on 0808 802 9999 between 12pm–2.30pm and 7pm– 9.30pm every day. Alternatively, you can contact Victim Support free on 08 08 16 89 111 available 24/7, every day of the year, including Christmas.