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It\u2019s been a busy week for Prince Andrew. On October 17, he announced that he would stop using his titles and honours<\/a> \u2014 a big move for someone who\u2019s been known as the Duke of York for almost forty years. Then, just a few days later, eagle-eyed fans noticed a not-so-subtle change on the royal family\u2019s official website.<\/p>\n As of Monday, October 20, the header on Andrew\u2019s bio no longer reads \u201cThe Duke of York.\u201d It now simply says \u201cPrince Andrew.\u201d<\/p>\n \ud83c\udfac <\/strong>SIGN UP for Parade’s Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox<\/strong><\/a> \ud83c\udfac<\/strong><\/p>\n The decision came \u201cwith His Majesty\u2019s agreement,\u201d according to the official statement<\/a> shared on Royal.uk. \u201cIn discussion with The King, and my immediate and wider family, we have concluded the continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family,\u201d Andrew wrote. \u201cI have decided, as I always have, to put my duty to my family and country first. I stand by my decision five years ago to stand back from public life.\u201d<\/p>\n He went on to say that he \u201cwill therefore no longer use my title or the honours which have been conferred upon me.\u201d Wrapping up, Andrew added, \u201cAs I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me.\u201d<\/p>\n In simple terms: the dukedom is still technically his under U.K. peerage law, but he\u2019s stopping its public use. He remains \u201cPrince Andrew\u201d by birthright, but \u201cDuke of York\u201d is effectively being put on mute.<\/p>\n For anyone left in the dark, this shift has been building for years. Andrew, the second son of Queen Elizabeth II, has been under public scrutiny since his association with Jeffrey Epstein came to light. His disastrous 2019 BBC Newsnight interview<\/a>, in which he attempted to defend himself, led to widespread backlash.<\/p>\n