King Charles urged to strip Andrew’s remaining honours
King Charles has been urged to remove Prince Andrew’s remaining honorary positions after new pressure from within the City of London raised questions about the Duke of York’s public standing. The calls follow reports that elected members of the City of London Corporation have agreed to write inviting Prince Andrew to relinquish the Freedom of the City of London, an honour he received in 2012.
Express reported that critics believe the King should also act to strip Prince Andrew of his remaining honours and titles linked to royal patronage, arguing that his continuing association with formal recognitions undermines efforts to distance the monarchy from controversy.
The report noted that the City of London Corporation has said there is no effective legal mechanism to remove a Freedom granted “by virtue of patrimony”, but members can request that a recipient voluntarily returns the honour. It also highlighted that Prince Andrew stepped back from public duties in 2019 after his BBC Newsnight interview and subsequent fallout surrounding his links to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Wider scrutiny of the Duke of York’s standing has persisted, including debate over his residence at Royal Lodge and his reduced public profile. Britpop News has previously reported on continuing tensions inside the family, including claims that King Charles may never speak to Andrew following disagreements over the Duke’s position and future role.
No formal announcement has been made by Buckingham Palace in response to the latest calls. The City of London Corporation has said any response from Prince Andrew will be considered at a future meeting, keeping the issue in the spotlight as the monarchy seeks to manage ongoing reputational challenges.
