Prince Andrew: now his military titles are gone too
Queen Elizabeth II has stripped her son Prince Andrew of all his military titles and royal patronages. Andrew is facing a civil lawsuit over sexual abuse allegations in the US, and had already resigned from public duties as a member of the British royal family in 2019. He will defend himself as a private citizen, said Buckingham Palace in a statement. Commentators see the Queen's move as the only logical step.
Painful but appropriate
The monarchy comes first, writes The Sun:
“The Queen has spent 70 years protecting the image of the monarchy because she considers it her duty. A duty that was taught to her by her beloved father. She has done this duty with hard work and pride. It has not been easy, but she had a determination that it was her lot in life ... The Queen has made it abundantly clear he has no choice but to fight his case as a private citizen. He has no alternative but to set himself apart and get on with it. He has to distance himself from his family before he heaps more embarrassment and humiliation upon the monarchy.”
The Queen had no choice
Prince Andrew is lucky not to have lost the title of Duke of York, La Repubblica explains:
“It's the very title held by Queen Elizabeth's beloved father, George VI. And the only reason he wasn't stripped of it is because Parliament would have had to be convened, which would have added to the monarchy's international humiliation. The Queen and the Windsor 'Firm' had no choice. The scandalous trial against Andrew has already cast a shadow over his mother Queen Elizabeth's historic platinum jubilee. ... The Queen, now 95 and with an extraordinary life behind her, could not allow her reputation to be further dragged through the mud.”