FILE PHOTO: Britain's Prince Andrew leaves Westminster Abbey following the coronation ceremony of Britain's King Charles and Queen Camilla, in London, Britain May 6, 2023. REUTERS/Toby Melville/Pool/File Photo
LONDON (Reuters) -Prince Andrew giving up his royal titles was the "right course of action," a senior British government minister said on Monday, a day after police said they were examining allegations that Andrew sought help from a police officer to discredit a woman who accused him of sexual abuse.
Andrew, the younger brother of King Charles, said last week he would no longer use his Duke of York title among others, following years of criticism about his behaviour and connections to the late U.S. sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Andrew, who will remain a prince, has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
A court ruling last year showed that the British government believed one of Andrew's close business associates was a Chinese spy. Andrew at the time said he had stopped all contact with the businessman.
"We agree and support the decision that the royal family and Prince Andrew have taken," Bridget Phillipson, education minister and senior member of parliament, told Sky News.
"We believe that's the right course of action."
When asked about calls for the removal of Andrew's prince title, Phillipson said it was not a matter for the government but one for the royal family to decide.
Andrew relinquished his Duke of York title days before the release of a posthumous memoir by Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein's most prominent accusers, which contains new allegations against the prince, who settled a civil case with Giuffre in 2022.
In "Nobody's Girl", obtained by the BBC ahead of publication, Giuffre alleges she feared she might "die a sex slave" under Jeffrey Epstein's control and describes three alleged sexual encounters with Andrew, including one involving Epstein and several other young women.
The memoir also alleges Andrew correctly guessed Giuffre's age - 17 - when they first met, and includes details of encounters in London, New York, and on Epstein's private island.
Buckingham Palace has been contacted for comment.
(Reporting by Sam Tabahriti; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
