New allegations against Prince Andrew by Virginia Giuffre in her memoirs are of “very serious and grave concern”, a Buckingham Palace source says.
Ms Giuffre alleged, which Andrew vehemently denies, that she was forced to have sex with the prince three times, including when she was 17, after being trafficked by paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
She also claimed the King’s brother considered it his “birth right” to sleep with her and that she feared she might “die a sex slave” at the hands of Epstein’s circle.
The source said the new allegations were of “very serious and grave concern” and “should be examined in the proper and fullest ways”. According to Sky News, the royal family felt action was needed because of “what lies at the heart of this, the broader allegations and the issues highlighted”.
Prince Andrew gave up using all his titles and honours on Friday as it became clear fresh claims were about to be revealed.
Ms Giuffre’s autobiography has 88 references to him across 400 pages.
Andrew paid her a sum – reported to be as much as £12m – to settle a civil sexual assault case, despite claiming never to have met her.
Key Points
- Royals face further embarrassment as Virginia Giuffre’s memoir to go on sale
- Andrew 'hired internet trolls' to harass accuser, memoir claims
- Pressure on parliament to act on removing Andrew's titles
- Recap: What has happened since Friday?
- Government to be ‘guided’ by royal family on any moves to strip Andrew of titles
SNP puts forward Bill to strip Andrew of dukedom
04:30 , Jane DaltonLegislation to remove Prince Andrew's dukedom must be put forward without "any further excuses and any further delay", the Scottish National Party says.
The SNP is putting forward a motion to pressure Sir Keir Starmer's government to strip Andrew of the title, which would require an Act of Parliament.
Stephen Flynn, the SNP's Westminster leader, said that "power and privilege" had protected those in the Epstein scandal for far too long and that the legislation to remove the title must be brought forward.
Mr Flynn has submitted an early day motion (EDM) that allows MPs to express an opinion, publicise a cause or support a position. It is rare for them to be debated.
Andrew relinquished his Duke of York title last week but officially continues to hold his dukedom.
Last month the SNP lodged a similar motion to pressure the government to remove Lord Peter Mandelson's peerage. The former UK ambassador to the US was sacked because of his own ties with paedophile financier Epstein.
The SNP's proposed Bill would remove both Prince Andrew's dukedom and Lord Mandelson's peerage.
Prince Andrew tried to hire internet trolls to harass me, Giuffre writes in her memoir
04:01 , Maroosha MuzaffarVirginia Giuffre’s posthumous memoir “Nobody’s Girl” accuses Prince Andrew’s team of trying to hire internet trolls to harass her and of hiding at Balmoral Castle to avoid being served court papers before their 2022 settlement.
She says the deal, reportedly worth $12m – brought her not just money but an acknowledgment of her suffering and a pledge that Andrew would not malign her again.
“After casting doubt on my credibility for so long – Prince Andrew’s team had even gone so far as to try to hire internet trolls to hassle me – the Duke of York owed me a meaningful apology as well,” she wrote in her memoir.
“We would never get a confession, of course. That’s what settlements are designed to avoid. But we were trying for the next best thing: a general acknowledgment of what I’d been through.”
Prince Andrew has strongly denied any wrongdoing.
We must know how Andrew can be evicted, says ex-minister
03:35 , Jane Dalton
Public ‘must know’ how Andrew can be evicted from Royal Lodge, says former minister
All the major revelations in Giuffre memoir
02:27 , Jane Dalton
All the major revelations from Giuffre’s memoir as Prince Andrew mentioned 88 times
Law stripped royal descendants of titles in 1919
01:10 , Jane DaltonLegislation has been used before to strip titles, including descendants of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert who supported the German side in the First World War.
The Titles Deprivation Act 1917 was used two years later to strip the titles from Leopold Charles, Duke of Albany, Earl of Clarence and Baron Arklow; Ernest Augustus, Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale, Earl of Armagh; Ernest Augustus, Duke of Brunswick, Prince of Great Britain and Ireland; and Henry, Viscount Taaffe of Corren and Baron of Ballymote.
The law remains in force but as it refers specifically to the First World War, its provisions are unlikely to be relevant today.
The government has indicated that it would not introduce any legislation to strip Andrew of his titles unless the King wanted to.
Giuffre's family call on police to resume investigations and watchdog to step in
Tuesday 21 October 2025 00:02 , Jane DaltonVirginia Giuffre’s brother and sister-in-law have called on the police watchdog to review the decision by the Metropolitan Police to drop its investigations into her allegations against Prince Andrew.
Sky and Amanda Roberts told Channel 4 News that Ms Giuffre had been "gaslit" by the police and authorities, which was a "kick in the stomach" for her.
They have called for the Met to reopen their investigation into Ms Giuffre's claim she was forced to have sex with Prince Andrew when she was 17, an allegation he vehemently denies.
And they said that if the London force would not take action, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) should review the decision.
Mr Roberts told podcast The Fourcast that his sister continually asked: "What is it going to take for people to finally believe me?"
Mr Roberts' wife, Amanda, said that in the US the issue had been elevated from the Department of Justice to the House of Representatives and added: "So every branch of government needs to take this seriously."
The IOPC would not comment on the case.
The Metropolitan Police said that following legal advice, it was clear that any investigation into human trafficking would be largely focused on activities and relationships outside the UK.
"Officers therefore concluded that the Met was not the appropriate authority to conduct inquiries in these circumstances and, in November 2016, a decision was made that this matter would not proceed to a full criminal investigation.
"That decision was reviewed in August 2019.
"In November 2019, the Met confirmed that it would remain unchanged."
Timeline of Andrew’s scandals
Monday 20 October 2025 23:11 , Jane Dalton
Timeline of Prince Andrew’s scandals as he surrenders Duke of York title
King visits terror attack synagogue
Monday 20 October 2025 22:10 , Jane Dalton
Andrew ‘met China spymaster at least three times’
Monday 20 October 2025 21:10 , Jane DaltonIn case you missed it: Prince Andrew met a senior Beijing official at the heart of the China spy scandal at least three times, it was reported last week.
We tried for next best thing to confession, Giuffre said
Monday 20 October 2025 20:15 , Jane DaltonVirginia Giuffre wrote in her autobiography how Andrew hid behind "the well-guarded gates" of Balmoral Castle, making it difficult for her lawyers to serve him with papers.
She also said of her legal settlement: "After casting doubt on my credibility for so long - Prince Andrew's team had even gone so far as to try to hire internet trolls to hassle me - the Duke of York owed me a meaningful apology as well."
Ms Giuffre added: "We would never get a confession, of course. That's what settlements are designed to avoid. But we were trying for the next best thing: a general acknowledgment of what I'd been through."
Andrew paid millions to Ms Giuffre to settle a civil sexual assault case in 2022, despite claiming never to have met her.
Prince Andrew and Virginia Giuffre reach ‘£10m’ settlement over sexual abuse claim
Andrew rightly guessed Giuffre was under age
Monday 20 October 2025 19:33 , Jane DaltonAndrew correctly guessed Virginia Giuffre’s age at 17 when they first met, she wrote in her memoir, Nobody’s Girl.
She said that in 2001 Ghislaine Maxwell, later a convicted sex trafficker, bought her an Burberry purse and three different outfits including "two sexy, sophisticated dresses" to wear for the meeting in Maxwell's London flat.
Ms Giuffre said there was "a third option that I'd lobbied for: a pink V-necked, sleeveless mini T-shirt and a sparkly, multicoloured pair of jeans embroidered with a pattern of interlocking horses".
"After I showered and dried my hair, I put on the jeans and top, which left a strip of my stomach exposed. Maxwell wasn't thrilled, but like most teenage girls then, I idolised Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, and the third outfit was something I imagined the two of them might wear. I told Maxwell it felt more like 'me'," she added.
Maxwell, who "was more coquettish than usual", asked the then-duke to guess Ms Giuffre's age, and Andrew, then 41, guessed correctly at 17, Ms Giuffre wrote.
She said she was paid $15,000 for "serving the man the tabloids called 'Randy Andy’".
How could parliament strip Andrew's titles?
Monday 20 October 2025 18:00 , Athena StavrouAndrew relinquished his use of the Duke of York title amid the long-running fallout of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal and the publication of Virginia Giuffre’s posthumous memoirs.
The titles and honours Andrew will no longer use include his wedding day titles – Duke of York, the Earl of Inverness and Baron Killyleagh, his knighthood as a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO) and his Garter role as a Royal Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter.
However, formally stripping him of the title would require an Act of Parliament.
Legislation has been used before to strip titles, notably descendants of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert who were on the German side in the First World War.
The Titles Deprivation Act 1917 was used two years later to strip the titles from Leopold Charles, Duke of Albany, Earl of Clarence and Baron Arklow; Ernest Augustus, Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale, Earl of Armagh; Ernest Augustus, Duke of Brunswick, Prince of Great Britain and Ireland; and Henry, Viscount Taaffe of Corren and Baron of Ballymote.
The law remains in force but as it refers specifically to the First World War, its provisions are unlikely to be relevant today.
Comment: The questions MPs should ask about Prince Andrew and the rest of the royals
Monday 20 October 2025 17:40 , Athena Stavrou
The 12 questions MPs should really ask about the royal family – if they were allowed
MPs call for law to strip Prince Andrew of his dukedom
Monday 20 October 2025 17:18 , Athena StavrouThe King and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer are facing calls to introduce a law to strip Prince Andrew of his dukedom.
Formally stripping him of the title would require an Act of Parliament but Charles is believed to view the largely symbolic move as a waste of parliamentary time and the Government has said it will be guided by the royal family’s views.
But the Westminster leaders of the Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru are among MPs calling for legislation.
The SNP’s Stephen Flynn said he would “not sit silent” while the family of Virginia Giuffre, and the British public, are “angry and aghast”.
Plaid Cymru’s Liz Saville-Roberts said: “Public funds, police protection and royal privilege have long buffered Prince Andrew from the consequences of his actions. And we’ve paid for all this.
“I will support any efforts to hold royals to the same standards and laws as everyone else – Parliament must have the power to remove privileges from abusers of position.”
Virginia Giuffre wanted to use ‘Crown’s money’ to do good after Andrew payout
Monday 20 October 2025 16:56 , Athena StavrouPrince Andrew’s accuser Virginia Giuffre described looking forward to using the “Crown’s money to do some good” after receiving millions from the late Queen’s son in a settlement.
In her book Nobody’s Girl, which is being published on Tuesday amid growing pressure for Andrew to be officially stripped of his titles, Ms Giuffre wrote that, after receiving the money from the prince, she began developing her Speak Out, Act, Reclaim (Soar) foundation to combat human trafficking.
“I look forward to disseminating some of the Crown’s money to do some good,” she said.
She added: “Now that my settlement from Prince Andrew has come through, I have begun the slow process of turning my fledgling foundation, Soar, into a professionally run organisation.
“My goal is for Soar to combat human trafficking by supporting organisations that focus on prosecution, protection, and prevention.”
Virginia Giuffre: Nobody's Girl Memoir excerpts and book cover
Monday 20 October 2025 16:33 , Athena StavrouTrump asked Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre to babysit in first encounter at Mar-a-Lago, memoir says
Monday 20 October 2025 16:03 , Athena StavrouDonald Trump asked Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre if she could babysit during their first encounter at his Mar-a-Lago club, according to her posthumous memoir.
In a copy obtained by The Independent, Giuffre wrote that she was introduced to Trump by her father after she was hired as a locker room attendant in the summer of 2000. She said that within days of starting, her father, then a maintenance man at Mar-a-Lago, introduced her to Trump in his office.
“Trump couldn’t have been friendlier, telling me it was fantastic that I was there,” she wrote. “‘Do you like kids?’ he asked. ‘Do you babysit at all?’”
Read the full story:
Trump asked Epstein accuser Giuffre to babysit in first encounter, memoir says
New allegations of 'grave concern', palace source says
Monday 20 October 2025 15:43 , Athena StavrouA palace source has said the new allegations against Prince Andrew are of a “grave concern” and that they "should be examined in the proper and fullest ways".
According to Sky News, a source at Buckingham Palace said the royal family felt action needed to be taken because of "what lies at the heart of this, the broader allegations and the issues highlighted".
They added that the "new allegations that have been brought up" are of "very serious and grave concern" and "should be examined in the proper and fullest ways".
Downing Street: Prince Andrew title decision 'matter for the Palace'
Monday 20 October 2025 15:33 , Athena StavrouDowning Street would not be drawn on whether Parliament should pass legislation to strip Prince Andrew of his titles.
The prime minister’s official spokesman said the question of legislation was “a matter for the Palace in the first instance” and the ministers “support the judgment of the King” regarding Andrew’s titles.
He added: “The prime minister’s thoughts are very much with the victims and survivors of Jeffrey Epstein who suffered and continue to suffer.”
Opinion: Eugenie and Beatrice should cut Andrew out of their lives
Monday 20 October 2025 14:59 , Jane Dalton
It’s time Eugenie and Beatrice cut Prince Andrew out of their lives
Andrew’s team tried to hire internet trolls to hassle me, Guiffre claims - full report
Monday 20 October 2025 14:53 , Jane Dalton
Prince Andrew’s team tried to hire trolls to hassle me, Giuffre claims in memoir
Royal website changed to remove Duke of York references
Monday 20 October 2025 14:44 , Jane DaltonThree references to the Duke of York on the royal family’s website have been changed to read Prince Andrew instead.
A page about Andrew is no longer headed Duke of York, and the words “On 13 January 2022, Buckingham Palace announced that, with Queen Elizabeth II's approval and agreement, the Duke of York’s military affiliations and Royal patronages would be returned” has been altered to say Prince Andrew, not Duke of York.
Beatrice and Eugenie skip glittering weekend ball
Monday 20 October 2025 14:21 , Jane DaltonPrince Andrew’s daughters are reported to have pulled out of a weekend event at the British Museum attended by celebrities and members of the aristocracy, amid the furore.
Princess Beatrice, 37, and Eugenie, 35, reportedly had been scheduled to attend the Pink Ball, similar to the famous Met Gala event in New York every May.
Naomi Campbell, Janet Jackson and Diana, Princess of Wales' niece, Lady Kitty Spencer were all said to have been on the guest list, alongside the two Princesses.
There has been no official confirmation they had been due there.
Recap: Calls for King and Starmer to strip Andrew of dukedom
Monday 20 October 2025 13:53 , Jane DaltonThe King and prime minister Sir Keir Starmer are facing calls to introduce a law to strip Prince Andrew of his dukedom.
Andrew relinquished his use of the Duke of York title amid the long-running fallout of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal and the publication of Virginia Giuffre's posthumous memoirs.
Formally stripping him of the title would require an Act of Parliament but Charles is believed to view the largely symbolic move as a waste of parliamentary time and the Government has said it will be guided by the royal family's views.
In pictures: King visits Manchester synagogue
Monday 20 October 2025 13:50 , Jane Dalton
King visits scene of Manchester synagogue attack
Monday 20 October 2025 12:58 , Athena StavrouAmid revelations about his brother, the King is continuing with his duties today.
Charles is visiting the scene of the Manchester synagogue attack, where two people were killed earlier this month.
Virginia Giuffre describes legal battle
Monday 20 October 2025 12:44 , Athena StavrouIn her posthumous memoir, Virginia Giuffre wrote how he hid behind “the well-guarded gates” of Balmoral Castle, making it difficult for her lawyers to serve him with papers.
She said of her 2022 legal settlement with Andrew: “We would never get a confession, of course. That’s what settlements are designed to avoid. But we were trying for the next best thing: a general acknowledgment of what I’d been through.”
Ms Giuffre described how she took part in two days of mediation, and her lawyer read the duke’s agreed settlement statement at 2.30am Florida time “through tears, both hers and mine”.
Watch: Rachael Maskell explains why she thinks Andrew should lose his titles
Monday 20 October 2025 12:38 , Athena StavrouPlaid Cymru backs efforts to strip Andrew of dukedom
Monday 20 October 2025 12:27 , Athena StavrouPlaid Cymru’s Westminster leader Liz Saville Roberts said she would back any legislation to strip Prince Andrew of his dukedom.
She said: “Public funds, police protection and royal privilege have long buffered Prince Andrew from the consequences of his actions. And we’ve paid for all this.
“I will support any efforts to hold royals to the same standards and laws as everyone else – Parliament must have the power to remove privileges from abusers of position.”
Giuffre ‘amazed’ Andrew was 'stupid enough' to meet Epstein in public after conviction
Monday 20 October 2025 12:18 , Athena StavrouVirginia Giuffre has said she was “amazed” that a member of the royal family would be “stupid enough” to appear in public with Jeffrey Epstein after his conviction.
Prince Andrew’s alleged victim described how she felt after seeing the picture published of the pair in New York in 2011.
“Seeing this new photo of Prince Andrew at Epstein’s side made ‘Randy Andy’ seem even more arrogant to me,” she wrote in her posthumous memoir.
Palace 'applied pressure' to ABC to not air Giuffre interview, memoir says
Monday 20 October 2025 12:02 , Athena StavrouABC did not air an interview with Virginia Giuffre after the royals “applied pressure to nix the interview”, Giuffre has said in her memoir.
The late accuser of Prince Andrew wrote in her autobiography, due to be published tomorrow, that the broadcaster “feared losing access” to the now Prince and Princess of Wales had the 2015 interview aired.
She wrote: “Four years later, on November 5 2019, a video of Amy Robach speaking on a ‘hot mic’ was made public that shed a bit more light on what had happened.
“Robach said that ‘every day I get more and more pissed’ that her interview with me didn’t air and that ‘what we had was unreal’.
“In the recording, Robach said that she was told by higher-ups, ‘Who’s Jeffrey Epstein? No-one knows who that is. This is a stupid story’.
“She also said Epstein’s lawyers and the British royal family had applied pressure to nix the interview, suggesting that the network caved because it feared losing access to Prince William and Kate Middleton in the future.”
How could parliament strip Andrew of his titles?
Monday 20 October 2025 11:46 , Athena StavrouAlthough Prince Andrew voluntarily gave up his titles on Friday, it is up to parliament to formally strip him of his dukedom through legislation.
Parliamentary experts have said a process to strip Andrew of his titles could be done relatively quickly by a short piece of legislation.
The precedent for stripping royals of their titles was set by the royal 1917 Titles Deprivation Act, which stripped royal titles from those who supported Germany in the First World War.
Another option, put forward by Rachael Maskell, the MP for York Central, is for the monarch to be given the power to formally remove royal titles.
A number of MPs have called for parliament to use its powers to strip Andrew of his titles, but ministers have suggested it is “not a matter for government”.
Government 'must bring forward act to strip Andrew of titles, MP says
Monday 20 October 2025 11:32 , Athena StavrouThere is “no justification” for the UK Government not to bring forward an Act of Parliament to strip Prince Andrew and Lord Mandelson of their titles, the SNP’s leader at Westminster has said.
Stephen Flynn said he would “not sit silent” while the family of Virginia Giuffre, and the British public, are “angry and aghast”.
It comes amid claims Prince Andrew had sought to obtain through his police protection staff the personal information of Ms Giuffre, who was trafficked by the late paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Lord Mandelson was sacked as US ambassador in September following revelations about his friendship with Epstein.
Mr Flynn said: “The family of Virginia Giuffre, whose life was destroyed, are angry and aghast.
“The public across these isles are angry and aghast and they both deserve to know that some MPs share their outrage.
“So I won’t sit silent. If an Act of Parliament is required to strip the likes of Peter Mandelson and Prince Andrew of their titles then there can be no justification from this Labour Government as to why that is not immediately happening.”
Where do things stand with Andrew and William?
Monday 20 October 2025 11:19 , Athena StavrouWilliam is always understood to have wanted to take decisive action on the controversy surrounding Andrew and his links to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
He is now said to be planning a “more ruthless” approach towards his uncle, banning him from his future coronation and public events, according to the Sunday Times.
The newspaper claimed future king William is "not satisfied with the outcome", after Andrew gave up his titles.
The newspaper added that William will also ban Andrew's ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, from royal events, but their daughters, his cousins Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, will still be welcome at family and official gatherings.
The King has already ruled that Andrew will no longer attend the Christmas Day service with the royal family - and the statement on Friday was viewed as a final banishment for the prince after the ongoing drip-feed of scandal over the years.
Giuffre's 'heartfelt wish' that book published in event of her death
Monday 20 October 2025 11:10 , Athena StavrouVirginia Giuffre, who died by suicide in April, wrote an email to her co-writer Amy Wallace at the start of that month shortly after being involved in a car crash that said it was her “heartfelt wish that this work be published, regardless of my circumstances at the time”, and that it was still to be released in the event of her death.
“The content of this book is crucial, as it aims to shed light on the systemic failures that allow the trafficking of vulnerable individuals across borders,” she said in the email.
Giuffre added: “In the event of my passing, I would like to ensure that Nobody’s Girl is still released. I believe it has the potential to impact many lives and foster necessary discussions about these grave injustices.”
Watch: Labour backs Buckingham Palace's decision to strip Andrew's titles, says minister
Monday 20 October 2025 10:49 , Athena StavrouAndrew's team tried to 'hire internet trolls' to harass accuser, memoir claims
Monday 20 October 2025 10:18 , Athena StavrouIn her posthumous memoir, Virginia Giuffre claims Prince Andrew’s team tried to “hire internet trolls” to “hassle” her online.
In a copy of the book, seen by The Independent, Giuffre says: “After casting doubt on my credibility for so long— Prince Andrew’s team had even gone so far as to try to hire internet trolls to hassle me— the Duke of York owed me a meaningful apology as well.
“We would never get a confession, of course. That’s what settlements are designed to avoid. But we were trying for the next best thing: a general acknowledgment of what I’d been through.”
Prince Andrew has denied any wrongdoing.
Comment: Are we finally ready to believe what happened to Virginia Giuffre?
Monday 20 October 2025 10:14 , Athena StavrouWith the world focusing on Prince Andrew losing his titles, victims like Virginia are once again completely forgotten, says Victoria Richards:
Are we finally ready to believe what happened to Virginia Giuffre?
Virginia Giuffre thought she might ‘die a sex slave’ at hands of Epstein, memoir reveals
Monday 20 October 2025 09:44 , Athena StavrouVirginia Giuffre feared she might “die a sex slave” at the hands of Jeffrey Epstein and his circle, according to her posthumous memoir.
Giuffre also said she had sex with Prince Andrew on three occasions, including one instance with Epstein and approximately eight other women.
Read the full report:
Virginia Giuffre thought she might ‘die a sex slave’ at hands of Epstein
Updates on Virginia Giuffre’s memoir
Monday 20 October 2025 09:26 , Athena StavrouThe Independent has obtained a copy of Virginia Giuffre’s posthumous memoir before its release tomorrow.
We are currently analysing the autobiography, which has 88 mentions of Andrew, and will bring you the latest updates here.
Pressure on parliament to 'act' on removing Andrew's titles
Monday 20 October 2025 09:24 , Athena StavrouThere have been growing calls within parliament to “act” over removing Prince Andrew’s titles.
Some government figures have stated the decision whether to strip Andrew of his “prince” title is a matter for the royal family.
But York Central MP Rachael Maskell, who in 2022 introduced a private members’ bill that would give the monarch powers to remove titles, said “it is for Parliament to act”.
The MP, who had the Labour whip taken off her for objections to the Government’s welfare reforms, said: “I presume the technicalities of that would be that there would have to be a conversation between the Palace and Parliament to indicate that the King was willing to assume those powers.
“But of course, Parliament could press forward with action and legislation if it so chose. And I think we need to find a mechanism in order to achieve that. The private members’ route would be one such measure.”
She added: “So I really do trust that Parliament will take this seriously and recognise there are opportunities here to address the wrongs of history and to ensure that the voices of victims and survivors are really heard and acted upon.”
Nadia Whittome, the Labour MP for Nottingham East, also said: “Alleged child sex abusers should have no role in public life. Their victims deserve justice, something Virgina Guiffre will now never live to see.
“But we owe it to her and others: there must be a police investigation into Andrew Windsor-Mountbatten and his titles removed.”
Education Secretary: Decisions on 'Prince' title 'not a matter for government'
Monday 20 October 2025 09:06 , Athena StavrouEducation Secretary Bridget Phillipson said stripping Prince Andrew of his right to be a prince “isn’t a matter for the government”.
Asked whether Parliament should strip Prince Andrew of his titles, Ms Phillipson told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “This isn’t a matter for the Government, and we do support the statement that the royal family issued and the action that’s been taken.
“Our thoughts have to be with the victims of Jeffrey Epstein, those who suffered and continue to suffer because of the abuse that they experienced at his hands, but these are matters for the royal family.”
The Labour MP added: “We would be guided by the royal family in this and I imagine the royal family would want Parliament to continue to dedicate our time to our wider legislative programme, but we will be guided by the monarch.
“It’s why we do support the statement that was issued and the action that has been taken. But of course, Prince Andrew holds the title of Prince because he is the son of a monarch, and that’s the situation that we have.”
Asked why it was not a matter for the Government, Ms Phillipson said: “Because the Government by long-standing convention does not involve itself in matters concerning the royal family.
“The royal family don’t involve themselves in the business of government in terms of inserting themselves into the discussion and it’s right that we respect that going the other way as well.”
Giuffre alleges she was raped by a ‘well-known prime minister’ in her posthumous memoir
Monday 20 October 2025 07:30 , Maroosha MuzaffarVirginia Giuffre alleges in her posthumous memoir “Nobody’s Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice” that a “well-known prime minister” brutally beat and raped her, describing the assault as so “savage” it drove her to flee Epstein’s trafficking ring.
In the book, she refers to the man only as “the Prime Minister”, saying she feared he would “seek to hurt” her if identified.
In earlier court filings, Giuffre had accused former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak, who has repeatedly denied her claims.
Giuffre wrote that the attack took place in 2002 on Epstein’s private island, where she was instructed to accompany the politician to a cabana.
“He repeatedly choked me until I lost consciousness and took pleasure in seeing me in fear for my life,” she wrote.
“Horrifically, the Prime Minister laughed when he hurt me and got more aroused when I begged him to stop.”
She said the politician “raped me more savagely than anyone had before”, and that when she begged Epstein not to send her back, he told her coldly, “You’ll get that sometimes.”
Prince Andrew ‘gagged’ Virginia Giuffre to stop her tarnishing the Queen’s platinum jubilee, memoir claims
Monday 20 October 2025 07:00 , Maroosha MuzaffarPrince Andrew insisted that his sexual abuse accuser, Virginia Giuffre, agree to a one-year gag order to avoid undermining Queen Elizabeth II’s platinum jubilee in 2022, her memoirs have revealed.
Andrew relinquished the use of his titles and honours on Friday, including his Duke of York title, after facing mounting pressure from King Charles following the long-lasting Epstein scandal.
In her posthumous memoir, released next Tuesday, Ms Giuffre exposes details of further attention on the allegations of abuse against the disgraced prince and his relationship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
She tells how Andrew’s disastrous Newsnight interview was like an “injection of jet fuel” for her legal team, and it raised the possibility of “subpoenaing” his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, and daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie and drawing them into the legal case, according to The Telegraph.
Ms Giuffre said she got “more out of” Andrew than a reported 12-million-dollar payout and two-million-dollar donation to her charity because she had “an acknowledgement that I and many other women had been victimised and a tacit pledge to never deny it again”.
Read more here:
Prince Andrew ‘gagged’ Giuffre to ‘stop her tarnishing the Queen’s platinum jubilee’
Emily Maitlis says Prince Andrew ‘lied to me’ in Newsnight interview
Monday 20 October 2025 06:00 , Maroosha MuzaffarJournalist Emily Maitlis believes Prince Andrew “lied to me about his contact” with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein during their 2019 Newsnight interview.
On Friday, Andrew announced he would relinquish his remaining royal titles – including Duke of York – and his public duties amid renewed scrutiny over his ties to Epstein and an alleged Chinese spy.
The BBC Newsnight interview, which Andrew hoped would clear his name, backfired after he said he did “not regret” his friendship with Epstein.
The financier was by then a convicted sex offender and had been accused of trafficking Virginia Giuffre while she was a teenager.
A recently surfaced 2011 email shows the former duke writing to Epstein: “We are in this together”.
That had been sent just months after he had said in the BBC interview that he had cut ties with Epstein in December 2010.
Ms Maitlis told The Observer it prompted her to rewatch the interview for the first time in six years.
Read more here:
Emily Maitlis says Prince Andrew ‘lied to me’ in Newsnight interview
"Only the beginning", says Giuffre's sister-in-law
Monday 20 October 2025 00:00 , Harriette BoucherVirginia Giuffre’s sister-in-law said this is “only the beginning of what is to come” after Prince Andrew gave up his titles on Friday.
Speaking to Newsnight with Giuffre’s brother, Sky Roberts, Amanda said the story is far bigger than apparent, and that the family will be “relentless”.
Sky said that the work his sister “put in is now coming to some sort of justice”.
