Prince Andrew: Hospital staff 'disciplined' over missing plaque

Hospital staff have been 'disciplined' after a plaque recording Prince Andrew's visit to a hospital was removed.

The plaque, which was unveiled in 2004, was removed from the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital in Birmingham in 2020.

At the time, the hospital said the plaque had been removed as part of a "routine review of signage".

But it has now emerged that staff were disciplined over the removal of the plaque.

A spokesperson for the hospital said: "We can confirm that a number of staff members have been disciplined in relation to the removal of the plaque.

"We cannot comment further on this matter as it is now subject to an ongoing legal process."

The removal of the plaque came after Prince Andrew was accused of sexual misconduct.

In 2019, Virginia Giuffre alleged that she had been trafficked to the UK by Jeffrey Epstein and forced to have sex with Prince Andrew.

Prince Andrew has denied the allegations.

The hospital's decision to remove the plaque was met with criticism from some quarters.

Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams said the decision was "petty" and "unnecessary".

"It is a sad reflection on the times that we live in that a plaque commemorating a royal visit should be removed because of allegations that have not been proven," he said.

The plaque has not been replaced.

The hospital said it is "considering its options" regarding the plaque.

"We will make a further announcement in due course," a spokesperson said.