On Friday, Prince Andrew announced his decision to relinquish his royal title, the Duke of York, and other associated honors. This move follows renewed public attention on his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

In a statement issued by Buckingham Palace, the brother of King Charles III explained that he and the royal family had come to this decision to prevent ongoing allegations against him from diverting focus from the duties and responsibilities of the monarchy.

This announcement coincides with the release of excerpts from a forthcoming memoir by Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who claims she was trafficked by Epstein and had an encounter with Prince Andrew when she was 17 years old.

Although Prince Andrew, now 65, withdrew from his public roles back in 2019, he has consistently denied any wrongdoing.

In his statement on Friday, he expressed, “With the agreement of His Majesty, it is felt that I must take this further step. Consequently, I will cease using my title and the honors that have been bestowed upon me.”

“As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me.”

Giuffre died by suicide in April. In the memoir she details alleged encounters with Prince Andrew, who she sued in 2021, claiming that they had sex when she was 17. Andrew denied her claims and the two settled the lawsuit in 2022.