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The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews has confirmed that Prince Andrew has relinquished his honorary life membership.
This news, first reported by The Courier, comes as the prince prepares to face a sexual assault lawsuit in the US.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the club said: “I can confirm that 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.”
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Earlier this month, the Queen stripped her second-born son of his military titles and other royal patronages. However, that apparently did not impact on his membership of arguably the world’s most famous golf club.
Prince Andrew had long-standing links with the Royal and Ancient.
In 2004, the club’s 250th anniversary year, he served as its captain, becoming the sixth royal to do so. His grandfather, King George VI, had occupied the role in 1930.
He also served on the club’s Amateur Status Committee from 2000 to 2003.
Prior to the scandal, the golf-mad prince was a patron of almost 30 golf clubs, societies and organisations.
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One of those was junior charity The Golf Foundation. It cut ties with him in November 2019 following a widely-maligned BBC interview in which he attempted to explain his links to convicted US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
This summer, St Andrews will stage The 150th Open. Prince Andrew has been a frequent spectator at the championship, most recently in 2019 when he attended in his capacity as a patron of Royal Royal Portrush. However, he found himself at the centre of a media maelstrom when it emerged he had spent more than £15,000 on a private jet to shuttle him to and from the Northern Ireland links.
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