The Queen has stripped Prince Andrew of his military titles and patronages as he faces a civil case in the US over claims he sexually assaulted Virginia Giuffre when she was 17.

As a result of the changes, the Duke of York, who denies all of the claims, will no longer be able to use the style His Royal Highness in an official capacity.

However, his Norfolk golfing patronages will be unaffected as he had already "stepped down" from them in November 2019 following a BBC interview about his relationship with convicted paedophile Jeffery Epstein.

A Buckingham Palace statement read: "With the Queen's approval and agreement, the Duke of York's military affiliations and Royal patronages have been returned to the Queen.

"The Duke of York will continue not to undertake any public duties and is defending this case as a private citizen."

It comes after a US judge ruled on Wednesday that the duke would have to face Giuffre’s lawsuit.

Eastern Daily Press: The Duke of York who opened King's Lynn Innovation Centre in 2017.The Duke of York who opened King's Lynn Innovation Centre in 2017. (Image: Archant)

A royal source said the issue had been widely discussed with the royal family, making it likely that the Prince of Wales, as well as Andrew, were involved in crisis talks over the matter.

It comes after more than 150 veterans joined forces to express their outrage, writing to the Queen to demand Andrew was removed from the honorary military positions.

Accusing the duke of bringing the services he is associated with into disrepute, the 152 former members of the Royal Navy, RAF and Army said that “were this any other senior military officer it is inconceivable that he would still be in post”.

The palace said previously that the duke’s military appointments were in abeyance after he stepped down from public duties in 2019.

But until now he still retained the roles, which left the eight British regiments, including the Grenadier Guards of which he was colonel, in limbo more than two years on.

As a former helicopter pilot during the Falklands War he had been due to take a leading role in the commemoration of its 40th anniversary this year.