The Queen will ‘certainly not’ take Prince Andrew’s Duke of York title away from him, after city Councillors voted to deprive him of the honour.
According to Royal sources, Her Majesty, 96, will not revoke the title she bestowed on him over 30 years ago in 1986.
It came after councillors voted to deprive the Duke of York of his freedom in the city and to remove his dukedom.
During an extraordinary meeting to debate his Freedom of the City award, which he received in 1987, the prince was dubbed “an utter disgrace.”
After about 30 minutes of deliberation, councillors voted unanimously to deprive him of the title.
His continued hold on the title Duke of York has been described as a “stain” on the city, and councillors are now calling on the Queen, Palace, or government to intervene and strip him of the title if he refuses to “do the right thing” and resign.
The council also took note of public outcry calling for the prince to be barred from attending horse racing events in the city. Another person suggested that he be referred to as ‘Andrew Windsor’ in the future.
‘The Queen will certainly not take any further action in that regard,’ according to a source close to the Queen.
‘The Duke of York has already stepped back from public life and had a number of titles and associations removed, and Her Majesty’s position has not changed.’
Andrew had been warned that he would lose his freedom of the city, which he had received as a wedding gift from Sarah Ferguson on February 23, 1987.
According to councillors, he is the first person to have his Freedom of the City revoked. The Lord Mayor and the Lord Mayor elect both formally abstained.
Darryl Smalley, City of York Council’s executive member for culture, leisure, and communities, proposed the motion and claims he should now relinquish the title of Duke of York.
Prince Andrew pictured with the Queen at Prince Philip’s memorial service. She may have to strip him of his dukedom if he doesn’t voluntarily give it up, York councillors say
Prince Andrew, at the York racecourse in 2015 to open the new weighing room on the first day of The Dante Festival. The racecourse was the site of tonight’s vote to strip him of the title
Lord Mayor of York Cllr Chris Cullwick (centre) during a meeting of the York City Council at the York Racecourse, where councillors passed a motion to remove the Duke of York’s Honorary Freedom of the City
Councillor Darryl Smalley, pictured in the meeting, said: ‘The removal of this honorary title sends the right message that we as a city stand with victims of abuse. The next logical step is now for Prince Andrew to do the right thing and relinquish his Duke of York title’
The prince pictured with his accuser Virginia Giuffre (centre) and Ghislaine Maxwell (right), who was found guilty in 2021 of child sex trafficking
He said last night: ‘The Honorary Freedom of York is the highest honour we, as a city, can bestow on those who represent the very best of York. The honour is held by many notable and accomplished people who carry it with pride and responsibly.
‘Having been stripped of his military roles and royal patronages by the Queen, we believe that it is right to remove all links that Prince Andrew still has with our great city.
‘I was pleased to see councillors of all parties support this motion and make it clear that it is no longer appropriate for Prince Andrew to represent York and its residents.
‘The removal of this honorary title sends the right message that we as a city stand with victims of abuse. The next logical step is now for Prince Andrew to do the right thing and relinquish his Duke of York title.
‘If he fails to do so, the Government and Buckingham Palace must step in to remove his title to finally end Prince Andrew’s connection to York.’
It follows a slew of authorities, institutions, schools and even golf clubs, which have all sought to distance themselves from the disgraced duke since he settled his civil case with Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking victim Virginia Giuffre.
In the wake of the case, which was settled in February, the 62-year-old was also stripped of his military roles and royal patronages and was told he would no longer be known as ‘His Royal Highness’.
Both Buckingham Palace and a spokesperson for the Duke of York declined to comment.
York City Council considered the motion: ‘The Council resolves that, pursuant to Section 249 of the Local Government Act 1972, the City of York Council withdraws the Honorary Freeman of the City status from the Duke of York which was conferred upon him in 1987.’
The meeting at York Race Course started with an impassioned plea from York resident Gwen Swinburn, who is well known for her clashes with the council.
She said: ‘This motion could not have been any weaker. Mr Andrew Windsor is an utter disgrace. He brings shame and reputational damage everywhere he goes including to our city.
In the wake of his sex abuse case, which was settled in February, the 62-year-old (pictured driving around Windsor) was also stripped of his military roles and royal patronages and was told he would no longer be known as ‘His Royal Highness’
Prince Andrew meets the crowd during a visit to York in 1987, the year he was awarded the Freedom of the City
‘The motion to withdraw his status goes nowhere near far enough. He needs to be declared persona non grata in York.’
‘As we all know, he loves his horse racing so please agree to write to the race course asking he never be invited here,’ she continued.
‘That man casts a long shadow and our Queen has removed almost all titles and a responsibilities except his dukedom which stains this city. We need to do more than the easy bit, which is to remove his freedom.’
Councillor Aisling Musson, for York Labour Group, added: ‘This title damages the reputation of our city. We owe it to the people of York, in particular those affected by sexual violence, abuse or human trafficking.
‘Our first duty is not to our reputation but their well-being and protection and remove this stain of association on our city which I am sure has weighed heavily on their minds – and may even have brought up pain and trauma they have worked hard to move past from.’
Councillor Mark Warters added: ‘While it is purely a symbolic act it does send a very strong signal from this city.’
Councillor Martin Rolley, for the Tory Group, is also calling for a new watchdog awards sub committee to be set up to vet future suggestions for Freeman.
What is the Freedom of the City of York?
York has a long history of freemen dating back to 1272.
Freemen can claim their rights through patronage as far back as their great-great-grandparent.
Once they are sworn in, freemen can join the Gild of Freemen who take an interest in the affairs of the city. New admissions are made every year.
Back then, freemen were given control of city trade, city strays and rights of pasture. They were also given roles in running the city.
However, in modern times, they have no privileges in the city.
You can still claim Freemanship through ‘hereditary right’ but it is also now possible to just apply for the tile by filling out an application form.
He added: ‘I would like to challenge the council. The title dates back many many years.
‘We want to ensure nobody receives a freedom of the city award as a result of a right of birth or standing in their community other than earned in the community.’
Councillor Dave Taylor added: ‘The motion has been very carefully worded to avoid any lurid allegations which would be difficult if not impossible to substantiate.
‘However, I subscribe to the point of view that the Duke of York has shown a dreadful lack of judgment in his friendships with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
‘I hope in the future the Monarch might appoint the Princess Beatrice to be Duchess of York. In contrast to his father, she is personable, intelligent and does her homework and reads her briefing paper when visiting the city of York.’
Councillor Denise Craghill, for the Green Group, said: ‘It is highly inappropriate Andrew should retain the freedom of the city.
‘It is highly inconsistent what we stand for as a city and would like the Palace and Government to take action to remove his title as Duke of York.’
The Duke is the first VIP to be stripped of his Freeman status since Jimmy Savile, who had his taken by Scarborough Council in 2011.
The meeting in York had been scheduled to take place virtually last month but the plug was pulled just two hours before it was due to start following objections from Labour councillors.
The decision to cancel the initial meeting caused fury among councillors, but York Council’s Lib Dem Group said the vote would go ahead on the same motion in April.
The spokesman said: ‘The votes taken remotely would have been seen as recommendations and would have had to go to the Chief Operating Officer to be confirmed as decisions.
‘Virtual meetings took place during Covid when the COO agreed with all the recommendations. It is purely because the agenda item on this meeting was very, very political.
‘It was felt it would be better to hold it safely and properly in person once members were ready and healthy enough to attend.
‘Quite a few councillors had recently tested positive for Covid and the real concern was many of them were vulnerable.’
Ahead of the cancelled meeting last month, Darryl Smalley, a Liberal Democrat councillor for York City, told the Independent: ‘York’s unique connection to the crown and the monarch is an important part of our city’s legacy and history.
‘However, as a council and city, we stand with victims of sexual abuse and are doing all we can to end violence against women and girls locally.
‘As such, it is inappropriate that Prince Andrew retains his ambassadorial title that is intrinsically linked to our city.’
Mr Smalley had previously called on Prince Andrew to be stripped of his title.
A survey by York’s daily newspaper The Press found that 88 per cent of its readers want to see the prince’s Duke of York honours taken away from him.
Phil Pinder, a retailer in the famous cathedral city told The York Press in February: ‘York deserves better. He has been stripped of his royal duties; he has done a settlement out of court ending the prospect of any kind of legal clearing of his name so the only option is for him to permanently step down as the Duke of York as well.
‘York deserves another royal to represent it instead.’
He suggested the ‘controversial’ choice of Prince Harry, who lives in the US and holds the Duke of Sussex title.
There are also multiple petitions to remove the Duke of York honour from Prince Andrew.
One with 1,500 signatories says: ‘Not only has ‘Prince’ Andrew demonstrated a lack of morals, lack of humanity and lack of judgement by protracted fraternising with Jeffrey Epstein, his recent interview confirms he lacks the ability to reflect, show insight and learn.
‘Most importantly, it reveals a total lack of caring for others.
‘These are not Yorkshire values. Having him associated with such a proud, fair and straight talking county is contradictory and embarrassing. Remove the title.’
Prince Andrew made his first public appearance since he withdrew from public life following his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, who was found guilty in 2021 of child sex trafficking, at the service for his father Prince Philip.
The shamed royal insisted on accompanying the Queen from Windsor Castle to the thanksgiving event at Westminster Abbey.
The prince in his military finery as he attends Founder’s Day Parade at the Royal Hospital Chelsea in London. He has lost a slew of military titles and patronages over the sex abuse allegations
But to the shock of many in the congregation he then escorted his mother all the way to her front-row position – in full view of the live broadcast cameras. It had been expected that the Dean of Westminster would take the Queen to her seat, with Andrew behind.
It was claimed the Queen ‘personally paid £2m to Virginia Roberts’s charity’ as part of Andrew’s £12m settlement.
‘Stipulation of Dismissal’ documents were filed with a court on March 8, with lawyers on both sides calling for the legal action to be dismissed, indicating the settlement has been paid.
As the order was published, the Treasury confirmed no taxpayer funds were used for either the payment to Virginia Roberts or for the Duke of York’s legal fees.
A freedom of information request asked whether any money from the Sovereign Grant to the Royal Family or any other government money was used. The Treasury insisted: ‘No public money has been used to pay legal or settlement fees.’
The joint order filed with the New York court said each party would pay their own costs and fees.
There were reports the Queen or even Prince Charles contributed to the settlement by paying it or loaning him the money until the sale goes through of a £17million Swiss ski chalet he owns with ex-wife, Sarah, Duchess of York.
Mrs Roberts had sued Andrew for alleged sexual abuse. She claimed he had sex with her when she was 17 after he was trafficked by his friend, the late billionaire paedophile Epstein.
The duke will make a ‘substantial donation’ to a charity for sex abuse victims set up by Mrs Roberts, now a 38-year-old mother-of-three. He said he now regrets his association with Epstein.
Andrew, who was forced to step down from royal duties and public life as a result of the scandal, previously claimed he had no recollection of meeting Mrs Roberts and has always strongly denied her allegations.
He agreed to the settlement in February.
All of Prince Andrew’s titles and patronages he has now lost
A slew of authorities, institutions, schools and even golf clubs, have all sought to distance themselves from the disgraced duke since he settled his civil case with Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking victim Virginia Roberts.
In the wake of the case, which was settled in February, the 62-year-old was also stripped of his military roles and royal patronages and was told he would no longer be known as ‘His Royal Highness’.
Andrew’s honorary military titles
United Kingdom
- Personal Aide-de-Camp to the Queen;
- Colonel of the Grenadier Guards;
- Colonel-in-Chief of the 9th/12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales’s);
- Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Irish Regiment (27th (Inniskilling) 83rd and 87th and Ulster Defence Regiment);
- Colonel-in-Chief of the Small Arms School Corps;
- Colonel-in-Chief of the Yorkshire Regiment (14th/15th, 19th and 33rd/76th Foot);
- Royal Colonel of the Royal Highland Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland;
- Honorary Air Commodore, Royal Air Force Lossiemouth;
- Commodore-in-Chief of the Fleet Air Arm;
- Freedom of the City of York.
Canada
- Colonel-in-Chief of the Queen’s York Rangers (1st American Regiment);
- Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada;
- Colonel-in-Chief of the Princess Louise Fusiliers;
- Colonel-in-Chief of the Canadian Airborne Regiment (disbanded).
New Zealand
Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal New Zealand Army Logistic Regiment.
Andrew’s patronages
- Alderney Maritime Trust;
- Army Officers’ Golfing Society;
- Army Rifle Association;
- Attend (National Association of Hospital and Community Friends);
- Berkshire County Cricket Club;
- British-Kazakh Society;
- Commonwealth Golfing Society;
- Constructionarium;
- Fire Service Sports and Athletics Association;
- Fly Navy Heritage Trust;
- Foundation for Liver Research;
- The Friends of Lakefield College School;
- Friends of the Staffordshire Regiment (The Prince of Wales’s);
- Greenwich Hospital;
- Grenadier Guards;
- H.M.S. Duke of York Association;
- Horris Hill School;
- Hunstanton Golf Club;
- Interfaith Explorers;
- Inverness Golf Club;
- Killyleagh Yacht Club;
- Lakefield College School;
- Lucifer Golfing Society;
- Maimonides Interfaith Foundation;
- Maple Bay Yacht Club;
- Port of Dartmouth Royal Regatta;
- Quad-Centenary Club;
- Queen’s York Rangers;
- Robert T. Jones, Jr. Scholarship Foundation;
- Royal Aero Club of the United Kingdom;
- Royal Aero Club Trust;
- Royal Air Force Golfing Society;
- Royal Air Force Lossiemouth;
- Royal Alberta United Services Institute;
- Royal Artillery Golfing Society;
- Royal Ascot Golf Club;
- Royal Belfast Golf Club;
- Royal Blackheath Golf Club;
- Royal British Legion Scotland, Inverness Branch; Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club;
- Royal County Down Golf Club;
- Royal Free Charity;
- Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust;
- Royal Guild of St Sebastian (Royal Guild of Archers of St. Sebastian – Bruges);
- The Royal Highland Fusiliers Of Canada;
- Royal Irish Regiment (27th (Inniskilling), 83rd and 87th and The Ulster Defence Regiment);
- Royal Jersey Golf Club;
- Royal Liverpool Golf Club;
- Royal Montrose Golf Club;
- Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital;
- Royal Navy Golf Association;
- Royal Navy Golfing Society;
- Royal New Zealand Army Logistic Regiment (The Duke of York’s Own);
- Royal Norwich Golf Club;
- Royal Perth Golfing Society and Country and City Club;
- Royal Portrush Golf Club;
- Royal St David’s Golf Club;
- Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies;
- Royal Victoria Yacht Club, British Columbia;
- Royal Winchester Golf Club;
- Royal Windsor Horse Show;
- Ryedale Festival;
- SickKids Foundation;
- Small Arms School Corps;
- Sound Seekers;
- St Helena National Trust;
- Staffordshire Regiment Trust;
- STFC Harwell and Daresbury Science and Innovation Campus;
- Sunningdale Ladies Golf Club;
- The Association of Royal Navy Officers;
- The Colonel’s Fund (Grenadier Guards);
- The Corporation of Trinity House;
- The Duke of York Young Champions’ Trophy;
- The Duke of York’s Community Initiative;
- The Entrepreneurship Centre, Cambridge Judge Business School;
- The Fleet Air Arm;
- The Fleet Air Arm Officers’ Association;
- The Gordonstoun Association;
- The Helicopter Club of Great Britain;
- The Honourable Artillery Company;
- The Honourable Company of Air Pilots;
- The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn;
- The Institution of Civil Engineers;
- The Ladder Foundation;
- The Northern Meeting;
- The Omani Britain Friendship Association (OBFA);
- The Princess Louise Fusiliers;
- The Returned & Services League of Australia Limited;
- The Royal Air Squadron;
- The Royal Commonwealth Ex-Services League;
- The Royal Fine Art Commission Trust;
- The Royal Highland Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland;
- The Royal Household Golf Club;
- The Royal Institute of Navigation;
- The Royal Lancers (Queen Elizabeth’s Own);
- The Royal Regiment of Scotland;
- The Royal Society;
- The Royal Thames Yacht Club;
- The South Atlantic Medal Association (SAMA 82);
- The Worshipful Company of Shipwrights;
- University of Cambridge Judge Business School;
- Wellington Academy;
- Wellington College International Tianjin;
- Westminster Academy;
- Yorkshire Society