Parliament is facing significant pressure to scrutinize the royal family's knowledge of Prince Andrew's connections to Jeffrey Epstein and to establish a mechanism for formally stripping him of his titles. This mounting calls follow new revelations, including leaked emails and claims from Virginia Giuffre's posthumous memoir, which have intensified the scandal surrounding the Duke of York.

The Metropolitan Police have confirmed they are actively investigating claims that Prince Andrew requested his close protection officer to gather information on Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of sexual assault. This request, including Giuffre’s date of birth and US social security number, allegedly occurred hours before the infamous picture of them was published in 2011. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband described these leaked emails as “deeply concerning.”

New revelations from Giuffre's posthumous memoir, “Nobody's Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice,” which was completed before her death, describe her alleged encounters with Andrew. Extracts published by The Guardian reveal Giuffre's claim that Andrew was “entitled” and viewed sex with her as his “birthright,” and she specifically recalled him saying “thank you” in a “clipped British accent” after their alleged first encounter when she was 17.

Further scandalous emails have also surfaced, notably one from Andrew to Jeffrey Epstein in February 2011, a day after the Mail on Sunday published the infamous picture of Andrew and a teenage Giuffre. In this astonishing message, Andrew told the paedophile, “It would seem we are in this together and will have to rise above it. Otherwise keep in close touch and we'll play some more soon!!!!” This directly contradicts Andrew’s earlier claims in his 2019 BBC Newsnight interview that he had no contact with Epstein after December 2010. Another leaked email suggests Andrew’s ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, referred to Epstein as her “supreme friend” and allegedly took Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie to visit him in New York after his prison release, though Ferguson's camp denies any recollection of such a visit.

Amidst the escalating scandal, King Charles made a phone call to Prince Andrew to orchestrate the removal of his remaining royal titles. This decision, made on Friday, saw Andrew relinquish his dukedom, his position as Knight of the Garter, and Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victoria Order. While he loses the title of Duke of York and will no longer use his honors, he retains his status as a prince, having been born into the royal family. The King's approach contrasts with the late Queen Elizabeth II, who removed Andrew's military titles face-to-face at Windsor Castle in February 2022. Andrew's disgrace also led to the last-minute cancellation of Sarah Ferguson's 66th birthday party, which was to be held at Royal Lodge.

Parliamentarians and campaigners are pushing for more decisive action. Labour MPs Rachael Maskell and Nadia Whittome have called for an Act of Parliament to formally strip Andrew of all his titles, citing similar legislation enacted in 1917 to remove titles from peers who fought against Britain. Maskell previously proposed a bill in 2022 to empower the monarch or a parliamentary committee to remove titles. Labour peer George Foulkes has called for a review of parliamentary rules that restrict questions about the royal family, after his attempts to inquire about Andrew's past roles were blocked. The campaign group Republic has also urged MPs to press for a “full-blown parliamentary or independent inquiry into the royal Epstein scandal” and for Andrew to face prosecution, arguing that the Met Police's alleged inaction is not credible.

Internally, the Royal Family had been discussing the issue for weeks, with Prince William reportedly “seething” over his uncle’s behavior, particularly after Andrew was pictured near the Prince and Princess of Wales at the Duchess of Kent's funeral. Downing Street also reportedly intervened, pressuring the royals to address the long-running scandal, which intensified after Andrew was suspected of receiving sensitive information from a senior Chinese official. While various options were considered, including removing Andrew from the line of succession or compelling him to move abroad, the family ultimately decided to have him voluntarily relinquish his honorific titles, believing this would send a stronger message and avoid consuming parliamentary time.

Buckingham Palace released a statement on Prince Andrew’s behalf, the first time it had spoken for him since his 2019 Newsnight interview. The statement read: “In discussion with The King, and my immediate and wider family, we have concluded the continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family. I have decided, as I always have, to put my duty to my family and country first. I stand by my decision five years ago to stand back from public life. With His Majesty's agreement, we feel I must now go a step further. I will therefore no longer use my title or the honours which have been conferred upon me. As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me.” Following this, Sarah Ferguson will now be known as plain Sarah Ferguson. Calls for further investigation into Andrew’s links to Epstein and the conduct of the Met Police continue.