Prince Andrew lost the right to be called Royal Highness due to the sex scandal

On Wednesday, a Manhattan court rejected an attempt by Prince Andrew's lawyers to dismiss a lawsuit filed against him by American Virginia Giuffre. Giuffre, 38, accuses the Duke of York of having sex with her when she was 17, aided by accomplices Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. The next day, 150 British war veterans wrote an open letter to Elizabeth II requesting that Andrew be deprived of his post - he bore the rank of vice admiral. Referring to the Queen as head of state and commander-in-chief of the army, navy and air force, the veterans expressed their anger at what was happening: "If it were any other high-ranking military officer, it is unthinkable that he would still remain in his post".

On the same day, Buckingham Palace announced that the Duke of York was stripped of his military ranks and royal patronages, according to The Guardian. The statement reads: “With the Queen’s approval and consent, the military status of the Duke of York and royal patronage have been returned to the Queen. The Duke of York will not have any public duties". The statement does not say that the duke was stripped of the title of His Royal Highness, but he lost the right to be named that way officially.

This means that the prince is completely removed from official royal life. Royal affairs expert Norman Baker said the prince was "thrown under the royal bus," but the family "cannot escape the damage" that the case will cause.

The prince was ninth and fourth oldest in line to the throne. He will remain a state adviser with the right to perform official duties if the sovereign is temporarily incapacitated due to illness or travel abroad.

With regard to the sexual assault case, the prince continues to dispute Giuffre's charges against him.