Prince Andrew: University of the West of England confirms removal of plaques

Two plaques at the University of the West of England which marked openings by the Duke of York, Prince Andrew, have since been removed, the university said.

The prince opened Future Space facility, a science business incubation centre on the Frenchay campus in July 2017, before opening Bristol Business School in March 2018.

However, the university said that both plaques for the openings, both with the prince’s name on, were removed in 2019 ‘in light of events reported at that time’.

Last week, the prince agreed an out-of-court settlement with Virginia Giuffre after she claimed he sexually assaulted her on three occasions when she was 17.

The prince repeatedly denied the claims.

The prince relinquished his honorary military roles and his HRH style in January.

A spokesperson for the University of West of England said: “The Duke of York has taken part in two official opening ceremonies on our Frenchay campus – Future Space in July 2017 and Bristol Business School in March 2018.

“To mark these visits, two plaques were installed as a commemoration of the formal opening of both spaces.

“In 2019 the University took the decision to remove both plaques, in light of events reported at the time.”