Now Andrew is forced to quit the Royal and Ancient Golf Club af ter 30 years

PRINCE Andrew has made the humiliating decision to give up his honorary membership of the prestigious home of golf as his legal battle over sexual assault allegations continues.

He had been a member of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club in St Andrews, Fife, since 1992, and served as captain in its 250th anniversary year.

The club, founded in 1754, is hosting the Open Championship this summer.

In an email to members, club secretary Martin Slumbers said: ‘I wish to advise members that today [we] received notification from the Duke of York’s office that the Duke will relinquish his honorary membership of the club.

‘In doing so, he sent best wishes for our continued good work. We respect and appreciate the Duke’s decision.’

The Royal and Ancient had been so proud of its association with Andrew that on its 250th anniversary, it commissioned a painting depicting him hitting a shot from the first tee when he became club captain in September 2003.

It is understood the picture, by artist Anthony Oakshett, is likely to remain hanging within the R&A building.

Andrew was the sixth member of the Royal Family to be captain of the club. He said at the time: ‘It is an enormous privilege, an honour and a dream come true for me to be invited to become the captain of the R&A, especially in this its 250th anniversary year.’

But in 2020 – as organisations began to distance themselves from Andrew after a disastrous Newsnight interview in which he tried to explain his links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein – the Royal and Ancient confirmed that while the Duke was still an honorary member of the club ‘he does not currently carry out any duties on its behalf’. The previous summer, when he used a private jet to travel to Royal Portrush for the Open Championship at a cost of nearly £16,000, he had attended in the capacity of former club captain and patron of the tournament.

He often wore his Royal and Ancient tie when attending the Open Championship, which is run by the club.

Andrew has already lost his honorary titles at a string of golf clubs, including Royal Portrush, Royal Belfast and Royal County Down in Northern Ireland, after the Queen stripped him of his Royal patronages this month.

The Prince is contesting a civil sexual assault case brought by Virginia Giuffre in America.

She claims that in 2001 Epstein and his associate, British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, sex trafficked her for the Prince when she was 17.

Andrew, 61, vehemently denies her accusations and has demanded a trial by jury, despite legal experts predicting that he would seek a settlement.

‘We respect the Duke’s decision’