Emails obtained by the BBC reveal that staff at Belfast City Hospital were disciplined over the removal of a plaque commemorating the formal opening of the Belfast City Hospital by Prince Andrew in 1986. The plaque, which was located near the hospital’s front entrance, disappeared after the Duke of York was sued by Virginia Giuffre for sexual assault allegations in 2022.
The investigation into the plaque’s whereabouts lasted several months and was carried out by independent consultants appointed by health officials. Staff behaviour was addressed according to trust disciplinary procedures. The Belfast Health and Social Care Trust has confirmed the plaque has since been found and is currently in storage.
The idea of staff being disciplined over the matter has caused outrage among politicians, with the Social Democratic and Labour Party health spokesperson, Colin McGrath, stating that if anything, the staff’s removal of the plaque did the trust a favour. People Before Profit assembly member, Gerry Carroll, said the hospital should not have a plaque bearing Prince Andrew’s name.
This information has been made public ahead of the newest drama series on Prince Andrew’s headline-making interview with Emily Maitlis for BBC Newsnight. The three-part Amazon Prime series, A Very Royal Scandal, comes just months after a rival dramatisation of the Newsnight interview, Scoop, was released on Netflix
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