A Royal Author Says Prince Andrew’s Title Removal Was “Inevitable” and Explains the Moment That “Tipped the Situation Over the Edge” and Forced King Charles to Take Action

"The fact he has fallen so low is a Greek tragedy," royal author Phil Dampier said.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - SEPTEMBER 16: (EMBARGOED FOR PUBLICATION IN UK NEWSPAPERS UNTIL 24 HOURS AFTER CREATE DATE AND TIME) Prince Andrew, Duke of York and King Charles III attend Katharine, Duchess of Kent's Requiem Mass service at Westminster Cathedral on September 16, 2025 in London, England. Katharine, Duchess of Kent was married to Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, a first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. She died on September 4 at the age of 92 at Kensington Palace surrounded by her family. Having converted to Catholicism in 1994, her funeral takes place at Westminster Cathedral and is the first Catholic funeral to be held for a member of the royal family in modern British history. Her Royal Highness will be laid to rest at the Royal Burial Ground at Frogmore, Windsor. (Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
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The fallout from Prince Andrew's links with Jeffrey Epstein continued late last week when the disgraced royal announced that he was giving up his royal titles.

The latest move to distance Prince Andrew from association with the royal family came after The Sun published an email he allegedly sent to Epstein in February 2011 that seemed to prove the disgraced royal lied in his bombshell 2019 BBC interview about Epstein.

Prince Andrew made the decision to voluntarily relinquish his royal titles in "close consultation" with King Charles, who is said to be “glad” about the decision, according to a subsequent report from The Sun.

Speaking to the outlet, royal author Phil Dampier said the revelations from the recent email leak were just the final straw and that Prince Andrew being stripped of his royal titles was becoming an increasingly unavoidable outcome.

"This was becoming inevitable as the crisis has been piling up for some time," Dampier explained. "The revelation Andrew had lied has clearly tipped the situation over the edge that made it difficult for the King to endure it any longer."

Dampier went on to suggest that losing his royal titles may be the least of Andrew's concerns, even suggesting that the disgraced royal might need to consider relocating to another country.

"There is nowhere to hide for Andrew, perhaps he might be better off starting a new life abroad as he clearly has no future in the U.K.," Dampier said. "It’s a very sad downfall for someone who returned from the Falklands War a hero and the fact he has fallen so low is a Greek tragedy."

Andrew announced the decision on Friday, in a statement that read:

“In discussion with The King, and my immediate and wider family, we have concluded the continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family.

“I have decided, as I always have, to put my duty to my family and country first. I stand by my decision five years ago to stand back from public life.

“With His Majesty’s agreement, we feel I must now go a step further. I will therefore no longer use my title or the honours which have been conferred upon me. As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me.”

Contributing Editor at Marie Claire

Kayleigh Roberts is a freelance writer and editor with over 10 years of professional experience covering entertainment of all genres, from new movie and TV releases to nostalgia, and celebrity news. Her byline has appeared in Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, The Atlantic, Allure, Entertainment Weekly, MTV, Bustle, Refinery29, Girls’ Life Magazine, Just Jared, and Tiger Beat, among other publications. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.