Prince Andrew's Twitter and Youtube deleted after Queen strips royal privileges

Prince Andrew's Twitter and Youtube platforms have deleted, just days after the Queen stripped him of nearly all his royal privileges. 

• Prince Andrew's social media accounts have been deleted following the news that he has been stripped of his royal privileges. 
• The Duke of York's Twitter and Youtube pages are no longer accessible to the public, while his Instagram account has been set to private. 
• In other royal news, Queen urged to change line of succession as Princess Anne 'would make a far better monarch' than her brothers.
  

Prince Andrew's social media pages have been shut down following the announcement that the 61-year-old will defend his sex abuse case as a private citizen. 

The Duke of York's Twitter page and Youtube channel are no longer accessible to the public, while his Instagram account has been privatized. 

The social media blackout, which was likely authorized by Her Majesty, has coincided with an updated profile about Prince Andrew on the Royal Family's official website. The page now includes the Queen's statement that the Duke has been stripped of his military honors and royal patronages, with all listings of previous affiliations completely wiped from the screen. 

The sparse biography stands in stark contrast with the in-depth profiles of his relatives, most of which feature lengthy descriptions of their roles and achievements as senior members of the Royal Family. 

The duties of the second youngest of the Queen's children are also now referred to in past tense, in what appears to be another move to distance the Duke from the British monarchy ahead of the highly-anticipated Platinum Jubilee 2022. 

Prince Andrew has been accused by Virginia Giuffre, one of the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking ring, of committing 'sexual assault and battery' against her when she was a minor. The Australian-American campaigner, who claims that the Duke abused her on three separate occasions, is now suing the disgraced royal for damages in a US civil suit. 

A request from Prince Andrew's lawyers for the case to be dismissed was rejected by a New York judge earlier this month. If a settlement is not made out of court, the Duke could face a trial in autumn 2022. 

It's understood that the Queen informed Prince Andrew that his royal privileges would be withdrawn in a 90-minute meeting at Windsor Castle last Thursday. According to inside sources, the father-of-two was 'sanguine' about the decision and 'recognized it was the right thing to do'.