Disgraced Andrew axes Sarah Ferguson's birthday party as leaked emails claim Epstein 'bankrolled her for 15 years'

The King’s disgraced brother gave up his royal titles on Friday evening, hours after new evidence of Andrew’s dealings with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein was shared by the US House Oversight Committee.

In the last two days, swathes of evidence connecting Andrew and Ferguson to the New York financier have emerged - including leaked emails showing the Prince used a Met Police bodyguard and a top aide to Queen Elizabeth II in his campaign to smear his sex accuser, Virginia Giuffre.

Ferguson had been due to celebrate her 66th birthday with a lavish party in Windsor this coming Wednesday.

Read more: Prince Andrew acted 'entitled to sex with me,' Virginia Giuffre alleges in posthumous autobiography

Read more: Prince Andrew is 'tip of the Epstein iceberg,' Emily Maitlis tells LBC

But Andrew axed the celebrations as calls for him to be stripped of his title of prince intensified, the Sun reports.

In leaked emails seen by the Mail, Epstein allegedly complained to friends that Ferguson was asking for too much money, far beyond the £15,000 she has admitted taking from him.

The emails reportedly say Fergie was “so desperate” for money that she was “the first to celebrate” Epstein’s release from jail, bringing her two daughters along with her to the party.

Further emails show how the disgraced Duke asked his taxpayer-funded bodyguard to investigate Ms Giuffre, passing on her date of birth and social security number.

He revealed he had asked one of his personal protection officers – part of the Met's elite SO14 Royalty Protection Group - to do this in another email to Ed Perkins, Queen Elizabeth's deputy press secretary.

This astonishing email was sent before the infamous picture of Andrew and 17-year-old Ms Giuffre was published by the Daily Mail.

"It would also seem she has a criminal record in the [United] States,' he wrote.

"I have given her DoB [date of birth] and social security number for investigation with XXX, the on duty ppo [personal protection officer]."

It is not suggested that the officer complied, and Ms Giuffre's family last night said she did not have a criminal record.

Responding to the Mail's revelations, Ms Giuffre's family said: "These emails expose the lengths to which those implicated try to discredit and defame survivors. The truth will surface and there will be no shadows in which they can hide."

Andrew has refused to explain how he obtained Ms Giuffre's nine-digit US social security number, while the Met has faced calls to launch an investigation.

His actions were labelled as "utterly despicable and reprehensible" by prominent barrister Charlotte Proudman.

"This shows Prince Andrew using his connections, including the police who are paid for by the taxpayer, in an attempt to dig up dirt on a survivor of sex trafficking," she said."It is just despicable. It certainly seems like a breach of her right to privacy and to protect her data from being misused. This should be investigated."

The Met declined to comment.

It comes after it was claimed that Ms Giuffre was pressured to sign a gagging order by Prince Andrew to stop her from "ruining" the late Queen's platinum jubilee.

The Duke's abuse accuser made the claims in her memoir Nobody’s Girl - a book she wrote before her death aged 41 in April - which will be published on Tuesday.

Elsewhere in the book, Ms Giuffre alleges she was forced to have sex with Prince Andrew on three occasions, including when she was 17, after being trafficked by convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

The Duke denies any wrongdoing and maintains he has never met Virginia.

However, it later emerged that he lied about when he cut his ties with the disgraced financier.

Prince William, who was reportedly key to Andrew’s banishment, is planning to ban him from his coronation in the future, sources say.

Heir to the throne William was consulted on the decision that led to Andrew relinquishing his dukedom on Friday, but the Sunday Times said William “knows the ‘Andrew problem’ will be in his in-tray at some point”.

The newspaper claimed future king William will be “more ruthless” and is “not satisfied with the outcome”.

The full statement released on Friday evening by Prince Andrew 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.

He went on: "I will therefore no longer use my title or the honours which have been conferred upon me."

He added that he "vigorously" denies the accusations made against him.

Ms Giuffre’s family say the news "vindicates" their sister as her family called for the Royals to go a step further and revoke Andrew’s title of prince.

Sky Roberts, Ms Giuffre’s brother, said her sister was a “truth teller from the beginning”.

He said: “We’ve shed a lot of happy and sad tears today. I think happy because in a lot of ways this vindicates Virginia.”

Mr Roberts added he would “welcome” contact with the UK Parliament or the King, offering to “present the evidence that we believe is available to continue her voice”.

“I think it’s so important for the world to know how much of a hero she was, but how much is still left that the stone is still left unturned to some degree,” he said.

"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."

LBC understands the decision was taken after close consultation between the King and Prince William.

His Majesty is said to be "glad" of the outcome.

He will also give up his knighthood as a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO) and his Garter role as a Royal Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter.

His ex-wife, Sarah, Duchess of York, will also relinquish her title and will just be known as Sarah Ferguson. Their daughters will continue to have the title of princess.

Just days ago, leaked emails showed Andrew stayed in touch with Epstein longer than he had claimed, raising questions about what else he may have been dishonest about.

The Duke of York said in his now infamous car crash interview he cut ties with Epstein in December 2010 after the latter’s child prostitution prosecution and prison sentence.

The newly-released emails were dated February 28, 2011, the day after the Mail on Sunday published the now infamous photograph of Andrew and Ghislaine Maxwell with Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre.

The Prince has always denied any wrongdoing - but admitted his decision to visit Epstein in 2010 was ill-advised.

News Agents co-host Emily Maitlis, whose 2019 interview with the Duke led to his removal from public life, told LBC that the Prince's version of events now does "not quite add up".

"None of it quite adds up, does it?

"Because Epstein was convicted in 2008, he then served this prison sentence. And the narrative from Andrew had always been, after I realised who he was, you know, broadly, I ended contact with him."

Meanwhile, Andrew is also under the spotlight after allegedly inviting Cai Qi, the senior Chinese official at the centre of the China spy case, to Buckingham Palace for lunch in 2018.