Challenges in the Life of Prince Andrew, Duke of York in a Detailed Timeline
A closer look at the defining struggles that shaped Prince Andrew, Duke of York's life and career.
Prince Andrew, Duke of York, is a member of the British royal family, the third child and second son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. Once second in line to the throne, he is now eighth. He served in the Royal Navy as a helicopter pilot and during the Falklands War. His reputation has been significantly tarnished due to his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and allegations of sexual assault made by Virginia Giuffre. He was stripped of his honorary military titles and royal patronages in January 2022 and settled a civil lawsuit with Giuffre out of court, though he has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
July 1982: Alleged Assassination Plan
In July 1982, the Argentine military government reportedly planned, but did not attempt, to assassinate Prince Andrew on Mustique.
1983: Split with Koo Stark
In 1983, Prince Andrew and Koo Stark split up due to pressure from the press, paparazzi, and palace.
March 1992: Announcement of Separation
On 19 March 1992, Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson announced their plans to separate.
1992: Separation from Sarah Ferguson
In 1992, Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson separated, attracting significant media attention.
May 1996: Divorce from Sarah Ferguson
On 30 May 1996, the marriage between Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson ended in divorce.
1996: Divorce from Sarah Ferguson
In 1996, Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson officially divorced.
2001: Giuffre Alleges Sex with Andrew
In 2001, Giuffre asserted that she had sex with Andrew in London when she was 17.
2004: Criticism over Golfing Trips
In 2004, Prince Andrew was criticised for flying to St Andrews on RAF planes for golfing trips.
2008: Giuffre Lawsuit
In 2008, an affidavit from Giuffre was included in a lawsuit accusing the US Justice Department of violating the Crime Victims' Rights Act during Epstein's first criminal case.
December 2010: Andrew at Epstein's Mansion
In December 2010, Caroline Kaufman, an alleged victim of Epstein, said in a federal lawsuit that she had seen Andrew at Epstein's New York mansion.
2010: Expenditures as trade envoy
In 2010, Prince Andrew spent £620,000 as a trade envoy. This included £154,000 on hotels, food, and hospitality and £465,000 on travel.
2010: Andrew's Regret for Meeting Epstein After Guilty Plea
In August 2019, Andrew expressed regret for meeting Epstein in 2010 after Epstein had already pleaded guilty to sex crimes.
February 2011: Challenge to Andrew's suitability for UK Trade & Investment role
In February 2011, Shadow Justice Minister Chris Bryant challenged Prince Andrew's suitability for his role with UK Trade & Investment in the House of Commons, citing his close friendships with Saif al-Islam Gaddafi and convicted Libyan gun smuggler Tarek Kaituni.
March 2011: Criticism Over Friendship with Epstein
In March 2011, BBC News reported that Andrew's friendship with Jeffrey Epstein was producing "a steady stream of criticism", leading to calls for him to step down from his role as trade envoy.
March 2011: Criticism from Campaign Against Arms Trade
In March 2011, Kaye Stearman of the Campaign Against the Arms Trade (CAAT) criticized Prince Andrew's role as the "front man" for UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), alleging that he was used to sell arms to despotic regimes.
July 2011: Stepping down from UK Trade & Investment role
In July 2011, Prince Andrew stepped down from his role as the United Kingdom's Special Representative for International Trade and Investment, due to controversies and his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
May 2012: Police Investigation into Enviro Pacific Investments
In May 2012, Swiss and Italian police were investigating Enviro Pacific Investments, looking into allegations of international corruption related to energy deals in Kazakhstan. The trust linked to this was believed to have contributed £6 million towards the purchase of Sunninghill.
2012: Sarah Ferguson's Admission and Apology
In 2012, Sarah Ferguson admitted that she had made a "gigantic error of judgement" in allowing Jeffrey Epstein to pay off a debt for her and apologised.
January 2014: Criticism for delegation to Bahrain
In January 2014, Prince Andrew participated in a delegation to Bahrain, leading to criticism from Andrew Smith of the Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) who condemned the UK government's arms sales to Bahrain and Prince Andrew's endorsement of the Bahraini government.
2014: Virginia Giuffre's Allegations
In 2014, Virginia Giuffre alleged that she was sex trafficked to Prince Andrew by Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell when she was 17 years old.
January 2015: Renewed Media Pressure and Buckingham Palace Response
In January 2015, there was renewed media and public pressure for Buckingham Palace to explain Andrew's connection with Epstein. Buckingham Palace stated that "any suggestion of impropriety with underage minors is categorically untrue".
April 2015: Judge Rules on Sex Allegations
On 7 April 2015, Judge Kenneth Marra ruled that the "sex allegations made against Andrew in court papers filed in Florida must be struck from the public record". The judge made no ruling as to whether claims by Giuffre are true or false.
May 2016: Allegations of brokering a deal in Kazakhstan
In May 2016, the Daily Mail alleged that Prince Andrew had brokered a deal worth £385 million to assist a Greek and Swiss consortium in securing a contract to build water and sewerage networks in Kazakhstan while serving as British trade envoy, potentially earning a £4 million commission. Buckingham Palace denied the allegations.
November 2017: Andrew borrows £250,000
In November 2017, Prince Andrew borrowed £250,000 from Banque Havilland, adding to a previous £1.25 million loan that had been extended or increased 10 times since 2015. The loan was approved despite concerns about his credibility, in an attempt to further business with the Royal Family.
December 2017: £1.5 million transferred to Andrew's account
In December 2017, £1.5 million was transferred from an account at Albany Reserves, controlled by the Rowland family, to Prince Andrew's account at Banque Havilland. This transfer paid off the £250,000 loan taken out in November 2017, which was due in March 2018.
March 2018: Loan Payment Due
In March 2018, the £250,000 loan that Prince Andrew borrowed from Banque Havilland in November 2017 was due. It was paid off in December 2017 by a transfer from Albany Reserves.
November 2019: Withdrawal of Sponsorship from Pitch@Palace
In November 2019, KPMG (on November 18) and Standard Chartered (on November 19) withdrew their sponsorship of Prince Andrew's Pitch@Palace entrepreneurial scheme, marking a significant setback for the initiative.
November 2019: Andrew Relinquishes Role as Chancellor of the University of Huddersfield
In November 2019, Prince Andrew relinquished his role as chancellor of the University of Huddersfield.
November 2019: Andrew Resigns From Outward Bound Trust
In November 2019, Prince Andrew resigned from his patronage of the Outward Bound Trust
November 2019: Transfer of £750,000 to Andrew
On 15 November 2019, the wife of jailed former Turkish politician İlhan İşbilen transferred £750,000 to Prince Andrew, under the belief that it would help her secure a passport.
November 2019: Andrew Suspends Public Duties
On 20 November 2019, Buckingham Palace announced that Prince Andrew was suspending his public duties "for the foreseeable future". On 24 November, the palace confirmed that Andrew was to step down from all 230 of his patronages.
2019: Suspension of military affiliations
In 2019, Prince Andrew's military affiliations were suspended.
2019: Campaign to strip Andrew of Earldom of Inverness
In 2019, residents of Inverness started a campaign to strip Prince Andrew of the Earldom of Inverness, due to his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
January 2020: Security Downgrade and Cooperation Controversy
In January 2020, the Home Office recommended "a major downgrade of security" for Prince Andrew. Also in January 2020, US Attorney Geoffrey Berman stated that Prince Andrew had provided "zero co-operation" with federal prosecutors and the FBI regarding the ongoing investigations.
March 2020: Andrew Hires Crisis-Management Expert
In March 2020, Prince Andrew hired crisis-management expert Mark Gallagher to assist him in managing the fallout from the allegations against him.
May 2020: Resignation from Public Roles
In May 2020, Prince Andrew resigned from public roles following criticism for his association with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
May 2020: Andrew Permanently Resigns from Public Roles
In May 2020, it was announced that Prince Andrew would permanently resign from all public roles over his Epstein ties.
May 2020: Legal dispute over mortgage
In May 2020, it was reported that Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson were in a legal dispute over the mortgage on their skiing chalet in Verbier. A spokesperson for Andrew confirmed that the Queen would not be settling the debt.
May 2020: Investigation of Prince Andrew Charitable Trust
In May 2020, it was reported that the Prince Andrew Charitable Trust was under investigation by the Charity Commission regarding regulatory issues related to £350,000 of payments to his former private secretary, Amanda Thirsk.
June 2020: Andrew a Person of Interest in US Criminal Investigation
In June 2020, it became known that Prince Andrew is a person of interest in a criminal investigation in the United States.
July 2020: Andrew Cancels Trip to Spain Amid Extradition Fears
Following the arrest of Ghislaine Maxwell in July 2020, Prince Andrew cancelled a planned trip to Spain, reportedly due to fears that he might be arrested and extradited to the United States.
August 2020: Anti-Child Trafficking Protest at Buckingham Palace
In August 2020, anti-child trafficking protesters referencing Prince Andrew gathered outside Buckingham Palace, and videos of the protest went viral.
November 2020: Report on Andrew's involvement with Banque Havilland
In November 2020, Bloomberg Businessweek reported on Prince Andrew's use of his royal cachet and role as trade envoy to assist David Rowland and Banque Havilland in securing deals with clients worldwide. It was alleged that Banque Havilland sought to service dictators and kleptocrats.
September 2021: Legal agreement to sell chalet
In September 2021, Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson reached a legal agreement to sell their chalet in Verbier. The previous owner accepted £3.4 million, half the amount owed, due to the impression that Andrew and Sarah were experiencing financial difficulties. Funds from the sale were intended to cover Andrew's legal expenses.
2021: Trespassing Incidents at Windsor Property
In early 2021, there were at least two trespassing incidents reported at Prince Andrew's Windsor property.
January 2022: Ceased Using Honorary Military Titles
In January 2022, Prince Andrew ceased using his honorary military titles following a letter signed by over 150 Royal Navy, RAF, and Army veterans.
January 2022: Andrew's Social Media Accounts Deleted and Titles Removed
In January 2022, Prince Andrew's social media accounts were deleted, his page on the royal family's website was rewritten in the past tense, and his military affiliations and patronages were removed. He also stopped using the style His Royal Highness (HRH). York Racecourse announced it would rename the Duke of York Stakes, and Prince Andrew High School in Nova Scotia stated that it would have a new name at the next academic year.
January 2022: Removal of Military Affiliations and Patronages
In January 2022, Queen Elizabeth II removed Prince Andrew's honorary military affiliations and royal charitable patronages.
January 2022: Restriction on using HRH style in public capacity
In January 2022, it was reported that while Prince Andrew retains the style of His Royal Highness, he would no longer use it in a public capacity.
January 2022: Military affiliations returned to Queen Elizabeth II
On 13 January 2022, Prince Andrew's military affiliations were formally returned to Queen Elizabeth II.
January 2022: Andrew's Royal Patronages Returned to the Queen
On 13 January 2022, it was announced that Prince Andrew's royal patronages had been handed back to the Queen to be distributed among other members of the royal family.
February 2022: Union Flag Not Flown for Andrew's Birthday
In February 2022, Belfast City Council and the Northern Ireland Assembly decided not to fly a union flag for Prince Andrew's birthday. The Mid and East Antrim Borough Council announced that they would hold a debate in June 2022 regarding a motion to rename Prince Andrew Way in Carrickfergus.
March 2022: Report of £750,000 transfer to Andrew in 2019
In March 2022, it was reported that in November 2019, Andrew received £750,000 from the wife of a jailed former Turkish politician, who believed the money would help her secure a passport. He repaid the money 16 months later after being contacted by lawyers.
April 2022: York City Council Removes Andrew's Freedom of the City
On 27 April 2022, York City Council unanimously voted to remove Prince Andrew's Freedom of the City.
June 2022: Andrew Excluded from Public Garter Day Procession
In June 2022, Prince Andrew took part in private aspects of the Garter Day ceremony, but was excluded from the public procession following an intervention by his brother Charles and his nephew William.
June 2022: Maskell Introduces 'Removal of Titles' Bill
In June 2022, Rachael Maskell introduced a 'Removal of Titles' private members bill in the House of Commons. The bill would have enabled people considered unworthy to be stripped of aristocratic titles.
June 2022: Freezing of chalet due to debt
In June 2022, a Swiss newspaper reported that Prince Andrew's chalet had been frozen because of a £1.6 million debt he owed to unnamed people.
October 2022: Andrew No Longer Receives Government Funding
In October 2022, it was reported that Prince Andrew no longer received any government funding.
November 2022: Andrew Set to Lose Police Protection
In November 2022, it was reported that Prince Andrew was set to lose his police protection.
December 2022: Andrew Complains About Security Situation
In December 2022, The Telegraph reported that Prince Andrew had written to the Home Office and the Metropolitan Police to complain about his security situation.
January 2023: Andrew Loses Access to Buckingham Palace Suite
In January 2023, it was reported that Prince Andrew could no longer use his suite of rooms at Buckingham Palace.
March 2023: Offer of Frogmore Cottage
In March 2023, Andrew was offered Frogmore Cottage after Prince Harry was asked to vacate the residence. This occurred amid reports that Andrew could no longer afford the Royal Lodge's running costs due to losing his annual grant.
2023: Chris Yang barred from UK entry
In 2023, Chris Yang, a Chinese businessman who had been dealing with Prince Andrew, was barred from entry to the United Kingdom due to alleged engagement in "covert and deceptive activity" on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party.
August 2024: King to Withdraw Funds for Andrew's Security
In August 2024, The Telegraph reported that the King would be withdrawing funds for Prince Andrew's security by the end of October, requiring him to pay for future security operations at his Royal Lodge home.
December 2024: Report of Andrew's dealings with Chris Yang
In December 2024, it was reported that Prince Andrew had invited Chris Yang, a Chinese businessman, to events at royal residences and that a royal aide had given Yang permission to act on Andrew's behalf when dealing with potential investors in China.
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