Queen’s decision to strip Prince Andrew’s HRH title was her final ‘self-sacrifice’, new documentary claims

The Queen put the national interest before her loyalty to Prince Andrew, new documentary claims

The late Queen’s decision to remove the Duke of York’s HRH and military titles following his settlement of a lawsuit over alleged sexual abuse was her “final gesture of self-sacrifice”, a documentary has claimed.

Prince Andrew was accused of sexual abuse by Virginia Giuffre, who claims that she was trafficked by convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. The duke has vehemently denied the allegations and claimed he never met Giuffre.

The late Queen Elizabeth II, who died last year, responded to the allegations by making the decision to remove his HRH titles. But according to a new royal documentary, the decision was a “self-sacrifice” from the late monarch to put the nation’s interests before her own.

Episode five of The Real Crown: Inside the House of Windsor, which airs on Thursday 20 April on ITVX, explores the challenges the Queen faced when her second-eldest son became embroiled in the allegations.

The episode, named “Heirs and Spares”, suggests that the late Queen was loyal to her son but had to put the nation’s interests first.

According to MailOnline, the voiceover says: “Harry has left the country and built a new life in America.”

“And now, the Queen has stripped Andrew of his HRH title. A final gesture of self-sacrifice,” it continued.

The Independent has contacted Buckingham Palace for comment.

Prince Andrew on the Buckingham Palace balcony with his family in 2018 (Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Andrew has not been a working royal since 2020 and does not carry out public duties. He is still a prince and the Duke of York, but he cannot use his HRH style in any official capacity.

In a statement at the time, Buckingham Palace said: “With the Queen’s approval and agreement, the Duke of York’s military affiliations and royal patronages have been returned to the Queen.

“The Duke of York will continue not to undertake any public duties and is defending this case as a private citizen.”

It comes as King Charles III is said to be “tired and infuriated” by his brother, as he is reportedly resisting moving out of his residence, Royal Lodge.

It was previously reported that the monarch offered the keys to Frogmore Cottage to Andrew, after asking the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to vacate it.

But the disgraced duke is understood to be resisting any attempts to move him out of his current residence and into the smaller royal property.

A source told PageSix: “Relations between the King and his brother have never been this bad. It has turned into a real battle which he never expected and it’s left him tired and infuriated.”

The full series of The Real Crown: Inside the House of Windsor released on ITVX on Thursday 20 April.