The China Mail - What we know about the downfall of Prince Andrew

The latest string of negative headlines prompted King Charles III to take action against his younger brother, days ahead of the publication of Virginia Giuffre's book "Nobody's Girl".

Under pressure from the monarch, Andrew, 65, agreed to give up his formal title of Duke of York and other honours bestowed on him by the late Queen Elizabeth II.

Lawmakers have added to Andrew's woes by calling for parliament to introduce legislation to formally strip him of his duke title and even his right to be known as a prince.

Here's what we know so far about his fall:

- Friendship with Epstein -

Andrew reportedly first met Epstein in 1999 through the late multimillionaire's girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell.

In 2008, Epstein was convicted in the United States of procuring a minor for prostitution and handed an 18-month jail sentence.

Despite this, the pair were photographed in 2010 walking through Central Park in New York together.

Andrew claimed this was the end of their friendship.

But an email to Epstein in February 2011 "from a member of the British royal family" believed to be Andrew said: "Keep in close touch and we'll play some more soon !!!!", according to UK court documents revealed earlier this year.

Epstein died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on charges of trafficking underage girls for sex.

- Legal settlement -

In August 2021 Virginia Giuffre filed a lawsuit against Andrew, alleging he sexually assaulted her three times, including twice when she was 17.

In her memoir, Giuffre said she was forced to have sex with Andrew on three separate occasions, having been trafficked by Epstein.

On the first occasion in March 2001, the then 41-year-old Andrew had sex with her at Maxwell's mews house in London.

Andrew was asked to guess her age. When he correctly suggested she was 17, he explained his accuracy by saying that "my daughters are just a little younger than you", Giuffre recalled in her memoir.

The second encounter was the following month at Epstein's "garish" townhouse in New York.

The last time was on Epstein's private island as part of what she described as an "orgy" with Andrew, Epstein and around eight other girls who "all appeared to be under the age of 18 and didn't really speak English".

A letter filed to a US court in February 2022 jointly by Giuffre and Andrew's lawyers revealed they had reached and an out-of-court settlement to end her civil case against him.

Andrew -- who made no admission of liability -- agreed to pay her an undisclosed sum. The exact amount has not been revealed, but was reportedly more than $12 million (£9 million).

- Sanctions -

Andrew stood down as a UK trade envoy in 2011 amid controversy over his ties with Epstein.

In 2019, he withdrew from public duties and gave up his HRH (His Royal Highness) title after denying in a disastrous television interview that he had sex with Giuffre. He added that he had no recollection "at all" of ever meeting her.

Queen Elizabeth II in January 2022 stripped him of his military titles and royal patronages after he lost his attempt to quash Giuffre's lawsuit. A Buckingham Palace statement said he would defend the case "as a private citizen".

On Friday, Andrew agreed to give up his Duke of York title under pressure from Charles.

His ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, who borrowed money from Epstein, will also no longer be known as the Duchess of York.

B.Clarke--ThChM