BREAKING: Queen Strips Prince Andrew Of His Royal Patronages

Queen Elizabeth II has stripped Prince Andrew of his royal patronages, it has been announced.

The Royal Family has confirmed the news on Twitter, in a statement which 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 the case as a private citizen."

Royal patronages are essentially when a member of the royal family serves as figurehead for an organisation.

Prince Andrew has also been barred from using the style 'his Royal Highness' in any official capacity, a source from the Palace has said.

The news comes after a New York judge ruled that Prince Andrew may have to face a civil trial after Virginia Giuffre accused him of historic sexual assault.

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US judge Lewis Kaplan dismissed a motion by the royal's legal team to have the lawsuit thrown out in a legal technicality.

Giuffre alleges she was forced to have sex with Prince Andrew back in 2001 when she was only 17 years old after being trafficked by disgraced financier and convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

The Queen's son has consistently denied the allegations made against him - most notably in a disastrous 2019 BBC interview - and claims that he has no recollection of meeting Ms Giuffre.

A lawyer for Giuffre says she is unlikely to accept "a financial settlement out of court" from the Prince.

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David Boies, who has represented Giuffre, told press: "I think it’s very important to Virginia Giuffre that this matter be resolved in a way that vindicates her and vindicates the other victims.

“I don’t think that she has a firm view at this point, nor could she, as to exactly what the resolution should be. But I think what’s going to be important is that this resolution vindicates her and vindicates the claim she’s made."

The ruling on Prince Andrew's trial closely follows Ghislaine Maxwell's guilty verdict in December.

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The British socialite and former girlfriend of Epstein was found guilty on five of six counts, including sex trafficking of an individual under the age of 18.

Ms Maxwell has not yet been sentenced, but could potentially face up to 65 years in prison if her legal team's calls for a retrial are dismissed.