Why Prince Andrew was compared to Prince Harry when he stepped down from royal duties
Prince Andrew was stripped of his royal titles after he was accused of sexual assault by Virginia Giuffre, while Prince Harry made the decision to step down from the Royal Family

The Royal Family was thrown into controversy when Prince Andrew was accused of sexually assaulting Virginia Giuffre when she was a teenager.

He was accused of having sex with Giuffre when she was 17, who claimed she was trafficked by Andrew’s friend and convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein and passed between his friends for sex. Andrew firmly denied the allegations.

In January 2022, after a New York judge ruled the Queen’s son would face trial over the accusations, Buckingham Palace released a statement announcing Andrew was to be stripped of his royal titles. It didn’t take long for the Duke of York to be compared to Prince Harry, who stepped down from royal duties in 2020.

For all the latest on news, politics, sports, and showbiz from the USA, go to The Mirror US.

READ MORE: All we know about Prince Harry’s UK trip – absent Meghan Markle to Royal Family reunion

Prince Harry and Prince Andrew faced comparisons to one another (
Image:
POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Some royal commentators slammed Harry and his wife Meghan Markle for their decision to leave the Royal Family. Following the Prince Andrew controversy and the release of Harry’s memoir in January 2023, royal commentator Sarah Vine referred to the two men as “spares”, referencing the title of Harry’s book.

“However the King deals with Prince Andrew, he’ll always be Prince Andrew: entitled, arrogant, entirely lacking in self-knowledge,” she told the Daily Mail. “In fact, not unlike Prince Harry. Two spares with a talent for driving everyone else even more spare.”

However, not everyone found the comparisons fair. Journalist Lydia Spencer-Elliott wrote in Grazia: “To amalgamate the two public figure’s situations and brand them similarly as ‘disgraced royals’ is to undermine Harry’s courage and minimise Prince Andrews alleged offence.”

Prince Andrew was accused of sexual assault (
Image:
BBC.com)
Constitutional expert Iain MacMarthanne also told The Express: “Prince Andrew finds himself in a position without precedent. Although parallels can be drawn with the recent outcome of the Sussex withdrawal both cases are hardly comparable.”

He pointed out how Meghan and Harry left their royal duties voluntarily while Andrew was left with no choice. Announcing Andrew’s title removal, Buckingham Palace’s statement read: “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.”

A month later, he settled the civil sexual assault case brought against him in the US by Ms Guiffre for a reported £12million. The settlement contained no admission of liability, guilt or wrongdoing on Prince Andrew’s part.

Follow the Mirror US News page on Facebook
undefined

All the latest news, showbiz, lifestyle and sports updates, brought to you by our dedicated American team.

Follow the Mirror US News page on Facebook to make sure you’re not missing out.