Queen Had No Choice But to Make 'Right Decision' to Force Prince Andrew Out of Royal Family: Report

UK Queen Elizabeth II was "saddened" about having to force Prince Andrew out of the Royal Family but she knew that she had no choice but to make this "difficult" yet "right decision", the Daily Mail has quoted unnamed sources as saying.

The sources referred to "the hesitation up until now at Buckingham Palace" due to "their determination not to be seen to pass judgment [on the sex abuse allegations against Prince Andrew]".

Britain's Prince Andrew, Duke of York, attends a ceremony commemorating the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Bruges on September 7, 2019 in Bruges

"[…] But what has happened this week is that he [the Duke of York] is now in a world in which his name will never be cleared – whether he wins or loses. Having a member of the Royal Family using their title as they go to court to defend themselves against those kind of allegations is obviously unacceptable. This week's judgment meant that Andrew simply ran out of road", the insiders argued.

The claims followed Buckingham Palace revealing in a statement on Thursday that Prince Andrew had been stripped of his military titles and royal patronages and that they had been returned to Queen.

The statement also said that the Duke of York will "continue not to undertake any public duties", noting that he is "defending this case as a private citizen", in a thinly disguised reference to a civil lawsuit against Prince Andrew brought by Virginia Roberts Giuffre.

The decision came amid reports the Duke of York would no longer use the title "His Royal Highness", and his roles will be distributed among other members of Britain's Royal Family.

Earlier this week, US District Judge Lewis Kaplan rejected a bid by Prince Andrew to dismiss Giuffre's civil lawsuit, which accuses him of raping her when she was 17. The ruling means that the royal, who vehemently rejects the accusations, will face a civil trial in the US.

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Giuffre, one of the alleged victims of the late convicted sex trafficker, Jeffrey Epstein, welcomed Kaplan's move and pledged that she will help to hold the "rich and powerful" to account for their transgressions.

"I'm pleased with Judge Kaplan's ruling yesterday that allows my case against Prince Andrew to proceed. I'm glad I will have the chance to continue to expose the truth and I am deeply grateful to my extraordinary legal team. I do not walk this path alone, but alongside countless other survivors of sexual abuse and trafficking", she tweeted.

Epstein was found dead in his prison cell in New York City in August 2019 after being charged with multiple child sex offences, with officials declaring that he had committed suicide by hanging.