The Duke of York's theatre in London's West End is set to be renamed, removing all association with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who was stripped of the royal title last year amid the Epstein scandal. The venue on St Martin's Lane will be renamed in tribute to British playwright Sir Tom Stoppard, who died in November 2025 at age 88.
Title Stripped After Almost 40 Years
Andrew became the Duke of York in 1986 on his wedding day to Sarah Ferguson. He held the title for nearly four decades until King Charles removed all his royal titles in October 2025 and began evicting him from Royal Lodge on the Windsor estate. Andrew denies any wrongdoing related to the Epstein scandal.
Theatre's New Name
ATG Entertainment, which owns the theatre, announced the renaming as a "lasting tribute" to Stoppard, one of the "most influential playwrights in British theatre." The theatre originally opened as the Trafalgar Square theatre and became the Duke of York's in 1895 after the then-duck went on to become King George V.
Andrew Rawlinson, ATG Entertainment's business director in London, said the renaming "felt like the right and natural way to keep [Stoppard] among us." He added: "Sir Tom Stoppard gave the British theatre some of its most brilliant and best-loved work, and he did it with a wit and a humanity that audiences carried home with them."
Family Welcomes Change
Stoppard's four children—Ollie, Barny, Will, and Ed—welcomed the name change. They said: "The West End was close to his heart and we feel sure he would be thrilled and humbled in equal measure by this great honour."
Among Stoppard's celebrated plays are Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Jumpers, Travesties, The Real Thing, The Invention of Love, The Coast of Utopia, Rock 'n' Roll, and Leopoldstadt. His play Arcadia is currently running at the theatre. Signage will be changed to the new name in the coming months.
No Direct Link to Scandal, But Pressure Mounted
Theatre owners did not explicitly link the renaming to Andrew's involvement in the Epstein scandal. However, an actor who previously performed at the venue wrote a letter to The Stage newspaper last autumn calling for the theatre to be renamed.
Since Andrew's arrest in February 2026, his name has been removed from landmarks and streets across the UK. The Duke of York Stakes horse race at York was renamed the Minster Stakes, and The Duke of York pub at York station became the Line and Whistle. In Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland, councillors voted to rename Prince Andrew Way, while locals in Hellesdon, near Norwich, raised concerns about Prince Andrew's Road. A portrait of Andrew that hung over the Duke of York pub in central London was also removed last year.
