Prince Andrew faces renewed scandal after Virginia Giuffre’s memoir release

Wednesday 22 October 2025 - 07:30

By: Sahili Aya

Prince Andrew faces renewed scandal after Virginia Giuffre’s memoir release

Prince Andrew is once again under public scrutiny following the publication of Nobody’s Girl – A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice, written by the late Virginia Giuffre. The American woman, who had long accused the prince of sexual abuse in connection with the Jeffrey Epstein case, reportedly took her own life in April. Her posthumous memoir went on sale in the United Kingdom on Tuesday, quickly topping Amazon’s bestseller list.

In the book, Giuffre describes in painful detail how she was exploited as a sex slave by financier and convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein and claims she was forced into sexual encounters with Prince Andrew on three occasions — twice while she was still 17.

Following the book’s release and early media excerpts, the 65-year-old prince announced that he would relinquish his title as Duke of York, reportedly under pressure from his brother, King Charles III. British lawmakers are now calling for his titles to be formally stripped. Buckingham Palace said the latest revelations were “deeply concerning” and should be “appropriately reviewed.”

Amy Wallace, who co-wrote the memoir, stated that Giuffre would have considered Andrew’s decision to renounce his titles “a victory.” Wallace added that the prince “should now cooperate fully with U.S. investigators.” Andrew had previously avoided a civil trial in New York by settling the lawsuit filed by Giuffre in 2021 for millions of dollars — while continuing to deny all allegations.

U.S. Congressman Pete Sessions, a member of the House committee investigating Epstein, told the BBC that it would be “important to know what Andrew knew and what he witnessed.” The memoir also refers to encounters with “multiple powerful men,” some anonymized, and describes one particularly violent assault by an unnamed “former minister.”

Meanwhile, British media revealed that London police are probing reports claiming Andrew ordered an officer to collect information discrediting Giuffre. The disgraced prince, already implicated in a separate case involving alleged Chinese espionage, remains a persistent source of embarrassment for the royal family.

The controversy comes just ahead of King Charles and Queen Camilla’s two-day state visit to the Vatican.

Adding to Andrew’s troubles, The Times reported that the prince has not paid rent on his 30-room Windsor residence, Royal Lodge, since 2003. Although he spent over £7.5 million on renovations, his lease, which runs until 2078, stipulates only a nominal rent. His financial situation remains unclear since losing his annual allowance of over £1 million from the king, while his personal security is estimated to cost around £3 million a year.

The Royal Family’s official website has now been updated, removing the title “Duke of York” from Prince Andrew’s profile.