The Downfall of Prince Andrew: Here’s What You Need to Know After a New York judge ruled that a civil suit against the prince could move forward, he was stripped of his military titles. What happens now?

He was a dashing helicopter pilot and war hero, who captivated millions of Britons during the Falkland Islands war. Royal watchers liked to say he was a favorite of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. These days, however, Prince Andrew, 61, is drawing global infamy and revulsion over accusations that he raped a teenager in 2001. The prince has repeatedly denied the accusations. But this week, his once-glittering royal life was shattered irreparably after a federal judge in Manhattan ruled that a civil case related to the sexual abuse accusations could proceed. The reaction from Buckingham Palace was swift and punishing. Just a day later, the prince’s 95-year-old mother stripped him of his military titles and royal patronages. Going forward, the prince will no longer use the title “His Royal Highness,” a symbol of his status as a senior member of the royal family. The Sun, a popular British tabloid, summed it up: Prince Andrew had been “effectively banished.” Looming over the case is the prince’s friendship with the former financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who the accuser, Virginia Giuffre, claimed had trafficked her to the prince. Mr. Epstein committed suicide in prison in 2019. The case has deeply shaken the royal family, already buffeted by scandal and the rancorous departure of Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan. The timing could hardly be worse: Queen Elizabeth is poised to celebrate her 70th anniversary on the throne this year, and the monarchy — the symbol and unifier of an often restive nation — has been seeking to burnish and renew its brand for future generations. And while the monarchy has outlived previous crises — war, abdications, revolutions, murderous kings — the latest one has also underscored how a resilient and venerable institution can still be battered by the bad behavior and poor judgment of its royal members.