'An ordinary girl took down a prince': Virginia Giuffre's family hail 'victory' as Andrew stripped of Prince title

The statement, from Virginia Giuffre's family, reads: “Today, an ordinary American girl from an ordinary American family brought down a British prince with her truth and extraordinary courage.

“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 countless other survivors like her.

“Today, she declares a victory. We, her family, along with her survivor sisters, continue Virginia’s battle and will not rest until the same accountability applies to all of her abusers and abetters, connected to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.”

This comes as the King initiates a formal process to remove Prince Andrew’s titles and honours and formal notice has been served on Andrew to surrender his lease at the Royal Lodge in Windsor.

Read More: King Charles starts process to strip Andrew of all royal titles and honours

Buckingham Palace said: “His Majesty has today initiated a formal process to remove the Style, Titles and Honours of Prince Andrew.

“Prince Andrew will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. His lease on Royal Lodge has, to date, provided him with legal protection to continue in residence. Formal notice has now been served to surrender the lease and he will move to alternative private accommodation. These censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him.

“Their Majesties wish to make clear that their thoughts and utmost sympathies have been, and will remain with, the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse.”

Prince Andrew will move to a property on the Sandringham Estate, it is understood. Any future accommodation will be privately funded by the King.

It must have been “very difficult” for the King to strip his brother of his titles and Royal Lodge residence, Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has said.

Speaking to LBC, she said: “I’ve been following this story more about a family. It’s a very sad state of affairs.

“I think that the King has clearly felt that this is the right decision for the royal family. It must have been a very difficult thing for him to have done. I mean, having to do that to your own brother.

“But the standards and expectations in society now are very high. People expect to see the very highest levels of integrity.

“And I’m afraid the whole Jeffrey Epstein saga and everyone it has touched, from Prince Andrew to Peter Mandelson, has just shown that the public has no truck whatsoever with any kind of sexual abuse, sexual offences, especially of minors. And I think that that’s quite right.”

The Prince of Wales is also understood to be supportive of the King’s decision, as is the wider royal family.

Andrew’s links to Epstein have hit the headlines again in recent weeks, with the publication of his main accuser Virginia Giuffre’s posthumous memoirs, and the US government’s release of documents from the paedophile’s estate.

Ms Giuffre alleged she was forced to have sex with Andrew three times – once at convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell’s home in London, once in Epstein’s address in Manhattan, and once on the disgraced financier’s private island, Little St James.

The incident at Maxwell’s home allegedly occurred when Ms Giuffre was 17 years old.

Andrew is accused of taking part in an orgy with “underage” girls, as well as Ms Giuffre, during the alleged incident on Little St James.

He vehemently denies all allegations made against him.