(MENAFN- Live Mint) Prince Andrew, 65, announced on Friday that he would relinquish his Duke of York title following years of public scrutiny over his ties to the late American financier Jeffrey Epstein. King Charles' brother had been accused by Virginia Giuffre of sexually assaulting her when she was a minor at locations linked to Epstein or his associates. In February 2022, he reached an undisclosed financial settlement to resolve the lawsuit filed against him in the United States.

Prince Andrew's downfall: A look at the timeline

Andrew was born in 1960. He began his service in the Royal Navy in 1979 and took part in the Falklands War in 1982. In July 1986, he married Sarah Ferguson and was given the title Duke of York. Their separation came in 1992, and they finalised their divorce in May 1996. Andrew reportedly met Jeffrey Epstein, a financier and investment banker, around 1999 through Ghislaine Maxwell. In 2000, Epstein, Maxwell, and Andrew were seen together at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. Later that same year, Epstein and Maxwell were guests at a joint birthday celebration hosted by the Queen at Windsor Castle.

Virginia Giuffre alleged that Prince Andrew sexually assaulted her at Maxwell's Belgravia home in London in March 2001, and also at Epstein's New York residence and during an“orgy” on his private island in the Caribbean, according to The Guardian. She claimed these incidents began when she was 17 years old. The Duke of York issued a comprehensive denial of these allegations.

In December 2010, following Epstein's release from prison for pleading guilty to charges involving prostituting minors, Andrew visited him in New York. The two were photographed walking together in Central Park.

Amid backlash over the visit, Andrew stepped down from his position as special representative for international trade and investment in July 2011, a role he had held since 2001.

Also Read | Elon Musk named in latest Epstein files release; Tesla chief responds

In April 2015, court documents filed in Florida brought forward allegations that Andrew had sex with Giuffre. Buckingham Palace issued a denial of the claims, the report stated.

Following Epstein's death in his jail cell in August 2019, Andrew withdrew from public duties“for the foreseeable future” following a disastrous BBC TV interview. In the interview, he claimed he could not have had sex with Giuffre because he was at home after visiting Pizza Express in Woking. He also said that her account of him dancing with her beforehand was inaccurate, as he was unable to sweat, and stated that he had“no recollection of ever meeting this lady".

On 12 January 2022, a New York judge dismissed Andrew's efforts to have the civil sexual abuse lawsuit brought by Giuffre thrown out. One day later, the Queen removed a number of Andrew's military affiliations and royal patronages. This action followed a letter from over 150 military veterans expressing their“upset and anger".

Also Read | How Prince Andrew became 'obsessed with women': He was just 8 when...

A settlement in principle between Andrew and Giuffre was reached on 15 February, 2022. In what was called a“remarkable turnaround", Andrew agreed to make a“substantial donation” to a charity and acknowledged that Giuffre“suffered as an established victim of abuse.” He also expressed regret over his relationship with Epstein.

In January 2023, Ghislaine Maxwell, then incarcerated for sex trafficking, questioned the authenticity of the widely circulated photograph showing Andrew with Giuffre, stating in a video interview:“I don't believe it's real for a second.”

Unsealed US court documents in January 2024 included further allegations against Andrew, such as claims that he had sex with Giuffre when she was underage.

Also Read | Who was Jeffrey Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre? All details here

Virginia Giuffre passed away in April 2025 at the age of 41. Her family confirmed that she died by suicide at her farm in Western Australia.

In October,2025, a leaked email surfaced in which Andrew had written to Epstein, saying“we are in this together” after a photograph of him with a teenage Giuffre was published in 2011. This appeared to contradict his previous statement during the BBC Newsnight interview, where he claimed to have ended contact with Epstein by that time.

(With inputs from The Guardian)

MENAFN18102025007365015876ID1110213757