Britain’s Prince Andrew, 61, has given up his membership at the historic Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews in Scotland as he fights allegations of sexual abuse from Virginia Giuffre, 38. 

“I can confirm that The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews has received notification that the Duke of York will relinquish his Honorary Membership,” said a spokesperson for the Scottish club in a statement. “We respect and appreciate his decision.” 

Founded in 1745, the historic golf club is renowned throughout the world as the “Home of Golf.” The 150th Open will be staged at St Andrews on the Old Course in July. The Open is one of golf’s four majors. 

Andrew had been a member of the club since 1992 and was captain between 2003 and 2004. That was when the Royal and Ancient celebrated its 250th anniversary. He is the only royal member to have served on the committee and is the sixth royal member to captain the club, which he has previously said was an “enormous privilege.” 

Due to the allegations, Prince Andrew no longer has his royal titles, which Buckingham Palace has stripped, and is now the only one out of his siblings no longer referred to as His (or Her) Royal Highness. 

Giuffre alleges that the Duke of York sexually abused her when she was 17 after Jeffery Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell trafficked her.  

After Epstein was found dead on August 10, 2019, Prince Andrew made a statement saying that he sympathized “with everyone who has been affected and wants some form of closure.” He added that he did not “suspect any behavior of the sort that subsequently led to his arrest and conviction” during the time he knew Epstein. 

Maxwell was convicted in December for her role in facilitating Epstein’s abuse.

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Article by Hannah Kim

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