Prince Andrew High School Is Changing Its Name to Make Students Feel More “Safe”

A school in Nova Scotia, Canada is taking its cue from the rest of those associated with Prince Andrew and creating some distance. When Andrew was first accused of sexual abuse by Virginia Giuffre, who claims that the incidents occurred when she was 17 years old, in connection with Andrew's friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, it was clear that the impact on the royal family would be huge. He was removed him from his royal duties and was lying low, while maintaining that he denies the allegations. But things started moving quickly last month, when the U.S. judge overseeing the case denied his motion to dismiss the civil charges. 

First, Prince Andrew was stripped of his military titles and HRH honors, a move that the Queen initiated. Then, council members in York started pushing to have Parliament revoke his Duke of York title, and pubs with the Duke of York name started considering a moniker change. Now, Prince Andrew school is following their lead. 

According to the Daily Mail, the high school, which was named in 1960 to honor the Duke of York after his birth, has been facing pressure from its community to change its name in light of the charges. In a letter to parents, obtained by local paper The Coast, the school’s principal explained that the new name would go into effect by the start of the 2022-2023 school year. 

In the letter, Principal Craig Campbell did not mention the allegations against Prince Andrew, but they’re heavily implied: “The name of a school should be reflective of our school community and uphold our values as a safe and inclusive learning space for all. Our hope is to continue to build our identity as a positive, supportive and respectful community, with a name to match. We have heard from many of you who feel the same way.” The school then invited its neighbors to submit suggestions for the name change. 

The dominos just keep falling for Prince Andrew, and while this is merely the latest ramification of the allegations, it is certainly not the last.