Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Prince Andrew’s Twitter account deleted after Queen stripped him of royal titles

Andrew’s official @TheDukeofYork handle now comes up with a blank page

Laura Elston,Matt Mathers
Thursday 20 January 2022 06:43 EST
The royal family has updated its website to reflect Andrew’s new status as a private citizen
The royal family has updated its website to reflect Andrew’s new status as a private citizen (AFP via Getty)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Prince Andrew’s Twitter account has been deleted just days after the Queen stripped him of his honorary military roles and HRH titles, as the monarchy moved to distance itself from the Duke of York, who faces a US civil lawsuit over alleged sexual assault.

The duke’s official Twitter page appeared blank on Wednesday afternoon, showing only a message that read: “This account doesn’t exist.” His Instagram page has been made private, although his Facebook page is still public.

His YouTube account has also been deleted.

A bio on the Twitter page used to read: “The Official Twitter Account for The Duke of York. Tweets sent by HRH are signed – AY.”

The duke’s Twitter page has been removed
The duke’s Twitter page has been removed (PA)

Buckingham Palace has also updated its website to reflect the prince’s new status as a private citizen.

Andrew still appears under the section “Members of the Royal Family”, but the list of what were his military posts and patronages has been removed.

The website also refers to last week’s major development, stating: “In January 2022, Buckingham Palace made a statement announcing that, with The Queen’s approval and agreement, The Duke of York’s military affiliations and Royal patronages have been returned to The Queen, and The Duke will continue to not carry out public duties.”

Under the heading “Supporting the Queen”, Andrew’s official duties, such as attending the Trooping the Colour ceremony and his diamond jubilee tour to India on behalf of the monarch, are referred to in the past tense.

The Buckingham Palace website now refers to Andrew’s duties in the past tense
The Buckingham Palace website now refers to Andrew’s duties in the past tense (PA)

The website now states: “An important part of The Duke of York’s role was to support The Queen’s work as Head of State.”

The Independent has contacted the palace for comment.

Virginia Giuffre is suing the duke in the US for allegedly sexually assaulting her when she was a teenager.

She claims she was trafficked by the duke’s friend, convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, to have sex with Andrew when she was 17 and a minor under US law.

The duke has strenuously denied the allegations.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in