Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, has relinquished his Honorary Membership of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews.
He has made the decision after recently giving up his military and Royal patronages as he faces a US civil action over sexual allegations as part of the Jeffrey Epstein sex scandal.
A spokesperson for The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews said: “The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews has received notification that the Duke of York will relinquish his Honorary Membership. We respect and appreciate his decision.”
A member of the R&A since 1992, the Duke is the only member of the royal family to have served at committee level, having been a member of the Amateur Status Committee from 1999 to 2003. He drove into office in September 2003 and was captain during the year in which the club celebrated its 250th anniversary.
The Duke of York Young Champions Trophy, a tournament for junior amateur players that the Duke launched in 2001, was wound up in April 2020 shortly after details of the sex allegations first appeared.
The Duke was also an honorary member at over 20 golf clubs throughout the UK, including Royal County Down Royal Portrush and Royal Liverpool, all of whom have ended their connections to the Queen’s second oldest son.