The family of Virginia Giuffre has spoken out after Buckingham Palace confirmed that Prince Andrew has been stripped of all his royal titles.
In a statement released, tthe Palace announced that Andrew will no longer be referred to as “Prince,” “His Royal Highness,” or the “Duke of York.” Instead, he will go by his birth name, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. The decision comes years after he stepped back from royal duties in 2019 following his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
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Giuffre, who tragically passed away earlier this year at the age of 41, was one of the first women to publicly accuse Epstein of sexual abuse. She also accused Epstein’s close associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, of arranging for her to have sex with Andrew on several occasions, beginning when she was just 17.
Following the Palace’s announcement, Giuffre’s brother Sky Roberts and his wife Amanda shared a statement with People magazine. They said, “Today, an ordinary American girl from an ordinary American family brought down a British prince with her truth and extraordinary courage.”
They added, “Virginia Roberts Giuffre, our sister, a child when she was sexually assaulted by Andrew, never stopped fighting for accountability for what had happened to her and to countless other survivors like her. Today, she declares victory.”
In 2022, Andrew reached a private settlement with Giuffre, reportedly worth millions. Though he expressed regret for his ties to Epstein, he never admitted any wrongdoing or offered a direct apology.
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Giuffre detailed her version of events in her memoir Nobody’s Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice, published posthumously in October. In it, she described meeting Andrew for the first time in 2001 and the alleged encounters that followed.
The decision by Buckingham Palace has reignited public attention around the scandal, especially as renewed scrutiny falls on Epstein’s connections to several high-profile figures. In the United States, there have been growing calls for the Department of Justice to release files related to the Epstein case and those who were associated with him.
Epstein died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. His death was ruled a suicide, but controversy and conspiracy theories have continued to surround the case.
For Giuffre’s family, the Palace’s decision feels like a small measure of justice after years of painful battles. Her brother said the news shows that “Virginia’s courage changed something that once seemed untouchable.”
While Andrew’s representatives have not commented further, Palace insiders told People that the decision reflects King Charles’s commitment to restoring the monarchy’s reputation after years of scandal.
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As the world reacts, Giuffre’s legacy continues to shape the conversation around accountability, power, and justice. Her family says they hope her story will encourage other survivors to come forward, no matter who their abusers are.
“Virginia never stopped fighting,” her brother said. “Even though she’s gone, her voice is still being heard.”
