York Racecourse to rename event to distance itself from Prince Andrew
York Racecourse to rename event to distance itself from Prince Andrew
Britain's York Racecourse is to rename the Duke of York Stakes in an effort to distance itself from Queen Elizabeth II's second son Prince Andrew, who is facing a US civil case for sexual assault.
The six-furlong (1,200-metre) sprint was named in 1895 after another Duke of York -- Prince George, Duke of York, who later became king George V.
But officials want to make its history clearer.
Prince Andrew has effectively been stripped of his position in royal life, after Buckingham Palace announced last week that he had given up his honorary military titles and charitable roles.
Calls have also been made for Andrew to lose his York dukedom, which was given to him by his mother on his wedding day in 1986.
James Brennan, the racecourse's head of marketing and sponsorship, told the local Yorkshire Post newspaper: "It (the race) was named in honour of Prince George, who went on to become King George V.
"It has never been directly about Prince Andrew. With that in mind, however, we are going to explore how we can make the name a lot clearer about its history -- and that the name refers to an entirely different Duke of York."
The current favourite as a replacement name is the 1895 Duke Of York Stakes.
Any change would have to be carried out with the European Pattern Committee, the body that regulates Group races, which are high-profile events.
The Duke of York Stakes is a Group 2 sprint at the Dante Festival, which is held in May.
The Queen, 95, is known for her lifelong love of horses and racing, as well as being a successful owner and breeder, with eight decades of involvement in the sport.
Andrew was appointed the racecourse’s first patron in 2015, but gave up the position in 2019 after stepping down from public duties in the wake of a television interview in which he defended his ties to the US financier Jeffrey Epstein.
The 61-year-old prince's accuser, Virginia Giuffre, 38, alleges that Epstein, who killed himself in prison while awaiting trial for sex trafficking, lent her out to his wealthy friends.
She claims Andrew sexually assaulted her when she was 17. Andrew has strenuously denied the allegation.
O.Pileggi--PV
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