The Queen’s move to strip Prince Andrew of his titles was her “final gesture of self-sacrifice”, a new documentary has claimed. The late Queen stripped Andrew of his HRH and military titles after the Duke of York reached an undisclosed settlement over the sexual abuse allegations by Virginia Giuffre. ITV’s latest documentary ‘House of Windsor’ explored the late Monarch’s relationship with her second son, who was often reported to be her favourite child.
Prince Andrew reached an out-of-court settlement with Ms Giuffre, who accused Andrew of sexually assaulting her three times in 2001, estimated to be around £10million.
The settlement was not an admission of liability and Andrew vehemently denies the allegations.
Last year Buckingham Palace announced Andrews’s military titles and royal patronages had been returned to the Queen and that he would stop using HRH in an official royal capacity.
Episode five of ITV’s ‘House of Windsor’ claims this was a “final gesture of self-sacrifice” by the Queen, just months before she died.
In the episode, titled ‘Heirs and Spares’ images of the Royal Family during the Queen’s last appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony, the voiceover says: “Harry has left the country and built a new life in America.
“And now, the Queen has stripped Andrew of his HRH title. A final gesture of self-sacrifice.”
The saying ‘an heir and a spare’ is used by the Royal Family to describe the child who will inherit the crown and their younger sibling the ‘spare’, who would replace them if anything happened.
Prince Harry recently titles his tell-all memoir ‘Spare’ in a nod to the saying, which he claims was used by his father King Charles after he was born.
READ MORE:King Charles’s tell-tale signs for when he’s stressed
Prince Andrew, 63 is the third child of Queen Elizabeth but at the time of his birth was second in line to the throne, behind his older brother, Charles, but before his older sister, Princess Anne.
Following the Queen’s death Andrew said his mother was a “confidence I will treasure forever”.
In a statement, he said: “Your Majesty, it has been an honour and privilege to serve you. Mother – of the nation, your devotion and personal service to our nation is unique and singular; your people show their love and respect in so many different ways and I know you are looking on honouring their respect.
“I have found your knowledge and wisdom invite, with no boundary or containment.
“I will miss your insights, advice and humour. As our book of experiences closes, another opens, and I will forever hold you close to my heart with my deepest love and gratitude, and I will tread gladly into the next with you as my guide.”
Another documentary on Prince Andrew is set to air on May 6, the day of King Charles’s Coronation.
Channel 4 will air a programme on the infamous Newsnight interview where former BBC journalist Emily Maitlis will detail how she came to interview the Duke in 2019.
In the interview, Andrew was grilled on his relationship with the late billionaire sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
