Elected members of the City of London Corporation have agreed to write to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as the Duke of York, inviting him to give up his freedom of the City of London. The honour was granted to him in 2012 by virtue of patrimony, as his father Prince Philip was a freeman of the city.
The City of London Corporation had previously stated that the honour could not be revoked amid calls for its removal following the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. However, it has now decided to approach the former prince to see if he will voluntarily relinquish the title.
In a statement released on Thursday, a spokesperson for the corporation said: “Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor received the freedom of the City of London in 2012 by virtue of patrimony, which is inherited as the child of a freeman and constitutes a legal right. Applications via patrimony are not considered or endorsed by our elected members, and there is no effective legal mechanism to remove this type of freedom. Elected members have today agreed to write to Mr Mountbatten-Windsor, inviting him to formally relinquish the freedom. They will consider the response received, if any, at a future meeting and determine what action may be taken.”
The freedom of the City of London is an ancient tradition dating back to 1237, originally enabling recipients to carry out their trade. The honour is typically awarded to individuals nominated by corporation councillors, with notable recipients including Sir Lenny Henry and Cate Blanchett. All of Andrew’s siblings, including the King, also hold the honour.
This development follows the removal of Andrew’s freedom of the city of York in 2022, and Sarah Ferguson’s loss of the same honour in March this year over her links to Jeffrey Epstein. If the former duke agrees to relinquish the London honour, it will be another in a series of titles he has lost due to his association with the disgraced financier.
