Buckingham Palace has deleted the Duke of York’s Twitter profile and updated its website to reflect his newfound status as a “private citizen”.
His official Instagram page, which uses the handle @hrhthedukeofyork and has 219,000 followers, was made private, while his Facebook page is in the process of being taken down. The Duke has agreed to no longer use his HRH title.
His page on the Royal family’s website was updated with the statement, released last week, confirming that his military titles and royal patronages had been returned to the Queen and that he would not carry out any public duties.
His official duties are listed in the past tense, while further content detailing his work has been removed.
The website now states: “An important part of The Duke of York’s role was to support The Queen’s work as Head of State.”
The news came barely a week after the Duke was stripped of his titles, as the Queen sought to protect the Royal family from the fallout of his sexual abuse case.
Whilst billed as a practical step to reflect recent developments, it is the latest humiliation for the Duke, who is facing a civil trial in the autumn and is preparing to be grilled under oath, possibly as early as next month.
