Copyright bbc
Her memoir, published posthumously this week, adds to pressure on him. A royal source said the focus of the Royal Family's thoughts were on Epstein's victims and the "whole network of girls and young women who were abused and treated appallingly". It should not be seen as a reputational or PR battle, they suggested, saying they were treating the ongoing claims with " very great concern". The posthumous memoir by Ms Giuffre repeats claims she was trafficked for sex by Epstein to his powerful circle of friends, including Prince Andrew - an allegation that the prince has strongly denied. On Friday the prince announced he would no longer use his titles and honours, which include the Duke of York, Earl of Inverness and Baron Killyleagh. He also gave up his membership of the prestigious Order of the Garter. He remains a prince, a title assigned from birth as the son of a monarch. But constitutional expert Craig Prescott says Andrew's title of "prince" could also be theoretically removed by a legal document issued by monarchs, called Letters Patent. If he ceased to be a prince and as he is no longer Duke of York, he would become Andrew Windsor. But at present, taking away his other titles would require legislation in Parliament. Although Palace pressure might have been exerted, the handing back of his titles was a voluntary move. They were not taken away, but Andrew's offer to stop using them can be enacted immediately and avoids using parliamentary time that would be necessary to remove those titles. But Maskell does wants the government to amend current laws to make it possible for the King to directly take away his other titles and honours - and she says a poll in her York Central constituency showed overwhelming support for forcing Andrew to lose his titles. "There are opportunities here to address the wrongs of history and ensure the voices of victims and survivors are heard and acted upon," she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. Maskell, who lost the Labour whip in a rebellion over welfare reforms, said she "didn't come into Parliament to discuss princes and princesses" but that such a change could be quickly passed allowing the monarch to remove titles and honours. "It's a simple single clause, it could be added to constitutional bill or a private member's bill," she said. Flynn, the SNP's Westminster leader, has also called for a better mechanism to remove titles. He said the public was "angry and aghast and they deserve to know that some MPs share their outrage". Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, speaking on BBC Breakfast, said that with regards the debate about taking away the prince's titles: "Any further decisions are not something we as a government would be involved in."
