Prince Andrew Criticized For Keeping HRH Title Amid Sexual Assault Lawsuit: Royals 'Have To Do Something'

Prince Andrew is facing sexual abuse allegations, and his critics want him stripped of his HRH title amid his legal battle.

The Duke of York has been working hard to throw out the lawsuit filed by Virginia Giuffre against him. Giuffre accused the royal of abusing her in 2001. A New York judge ruled that the case could continue, so Prince Andrew could be heard in court later this year, the BBC reported.

Questions have been raised on whether Prince Andrew should keep his royal title and military honors amid his ongoing sexual abuse case. He still appears on the royal family's website as the patron or member of around 100 charities and organizations, including hospital trusts, cricket clubs and schools. He is also referred to as "His Royal Highness" on the family's website, and this does not sit well with his critics.

"How does Andrew get to keep his HRH title when he’s embroiled in this mess, [but] Harry and Meghan are banned from using theirs just for leaving everyday working life?" a highly placed royal source told the New York Post's Page Six. "I’m fairly sure that’s the exact same question being asked inside the palace. They have to do something with today’s news [about the lawsuit moving forward] — they can’t just sit at their end and ignore it. They can’t keep the status quo, they have to do something."

When Prince Harry and Markle decided to step down from their royal duties, the Queen didn't strip them of their HRH titles. However, the monarch forbade the two from using them.

Sarah Ferguson's ex-husband has been plagued with various controversies due to his connection with convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. He addressed the issue in a Newsnight interview in 2019, which turned disastrous, with many suggesting he should have just kept his silence. He stepped down just days after the tell-all aired.

Earlier this month, Prince Andrew asked the judge to dismiss the lawsuit against him after Giuffre accepted a $500,000 settlement from Epstein and agreed to "release, acquit, satisfy and forever discharge" Epstein and "any other person or entity who could have been included as a potential defendant."

However, Judge Lewis A. Kaplan of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York denied Prince Andrew's attempt to dismiss the lawsuit, saying his ruling did not determine the "truth or falsity" of Giuffre's complaint.

Giuffre was "pleased" with the judge's ruling since "evidence will now be taken concerning her claims against him."