Prince Andrew still 9th in line to throne after military titles stripped

Prince Andrew was stripped of his military titles and royal patronages and can no longer use "His Royal Highness" in any official capacities, as he faces a sex abuse lawsuit. But he remains in line to the British line — ninth in the line of succession, according to the BBC and the British newspaper The Independent. First in line to succeed Queen Elizabeth II is Prince Charles, her eldest son, followed by Prince William, who is the eldest son of Prince Charles and Diana, the Princess of Wales. After that come William's children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, then Prince Harry and his children, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor and Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, followed by Queen Elizabeth's second son: The Duke of York — Prince Andrew. Buckingham Palace announced on Thursday that Andrew will continue to not undertake any public duties, as has been the case since 2019 due to his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. All of his formal roles have been handed back to the queen and will be redistributed to other members of the royal family, a royal source said. The announcement came a day after a U.S. district judge rejected Andrew's motion to dismiss a lawsuit brought by Virginia Giuffre, alleging that he sexually abused her when she was 17. The case is now moving ahead, and he is defending it "as a private citizen," according to a Buckingham Palace spokesperson.