LONDON — Buckingham Palace announced Thursday that “with the Queen’s approval and agreement,” all of Prince Andrew’s military affiliations and remaining royal patronages have been returned — a devastating blow for Elizabeth II’s second son, who is facing a civil lawsuit that accuses him of having sex with a teenager trafficked by disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

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       Andrew has been mostly out of the public eye for the past year, and many organizations distanced themselves from him after he defended his relationship with Epstein in a November 2019 BBC interview. But Thursday’s move means he is now facing his accuser alone, without many of the honors accorded to a royal.

       The two-sentence statement from the palace continues, “The Duke of York will continue not to undertake any public duties and is defending this case as a private citizen.”

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       The revoking of titles and patronages comes after 150 British veterans signed an open letter calling for the queen to strip her son of his military titles.

       A judge in New York on Wednesday ruled that a lawsuit brought against Andrew by a woman who says she was trafficked to him by Epstein does not warrant dismissal. The just concluded that a settlement agreement the woman signed in 2009 does not unequivocally free the royal from liability.

       Andrew’s defense team argued that the agreement Virginia Giuffre signed as she settled with Epstein for $500,000 shielded the prince and anyone else she might sue in connection to her claims against Epstein, a wealthy and well-connected financier who died by suicide while awaiting trial for sex trafficking in 2019.

       This story is developing.

       Shayna Jacobs in New York contributed to this report.