The Reasons the Duke of York Has Surrendered His Royal Honors – and the Implications for the Monarchy
Through a statement issued by the royal household, the king's brother has declared he is relinquishing his royal titles, including the Duke of York. Here are the details of what was announced – and what wasn't.
What Did the Prince Announced?
Having already withdrawn as a working royal in 2019, the prince has currently chosen to “take additional measures” and agree to refrain from using the “honor or the awards which have been granted to” him.
However, he used the statement to emphatically denying – as he has always done – the accusations of sexual impropriety leveled at him; albeit after settling a substantial sum to resolve the legal claim filed by Virginia Giuffre – an agreement in which he admitted no liability and firmly denied all allegations of wrongdoing.
There has existed persistent pressure on the monarchy over the allegations involving the prince – especially since his disastrous Newsnight interview with Emily Maitlis in 2019. He now claims he is acting to safeguard the royal family from additional harm caused by media scrutiny.
Has the King Stripped Him of His Titles?
No. And, while this might be viewed as a simple procedure, it is significant in multiple ways: initially, it enables the prince to publicly claim to have behaved with integrity in defence of the monarchy. As stated in his statement: “I have decided, as I always have, to prioritize my obligations to my family and country first.”
Second, while he has agreed not to use it, Andrew retains the dukedom, as well as the honors the Earl of Inverness and Baron Killyleagh and the esteemed Garter role as a member of the prestigious order. Like the HRH royal style title, they essentially become inactive.
He remains royalty and eighth in the line of succession. In theory, he is also still a counsellor of state – and can stand in for the king if he is abroad or ill. Although royal officials has indicated that, in practice, he would not be called upon to fulfil this role.
Nonetheless, it is significant that the prince's announcement said the decision was made “following talks with the king”. There seems little doubt that, behind the scenes, the palace advocated for this in the hope of distancing the institution from Andrew.
Why Hasn’t He Been Officially Stripped of All of His Titles?
To forcibly remove a dukedom would take an act of parliament, and would constitute such a historic move in full view of the public – it has not happened to a high-ranking royal in over a century – that it could cause more reputational damage for the royals.
The prince remains still a prince. When he was born in 1960, he became as the child of the sovereign. This would only be altered if a royal decree was enacted by the reigning monarch.
The entire procedure could end up being protracted, implying the objective of quickly addressing the matter – at least for the royal family’s purposes – may not be met.
What Are the Implications for Andrew?
Embarrassment, likely above all. The statement signifies an substantial reduction of status he has resisted for a long time.
He and his ex-wife, Sarah, still live in Royal Lodge, notwithstanding reported efforts by the king to encourage Andrew to relocate of the 30-room royal residence in the Windsor estate.
Although limited information has been shed on exactly how much money Andrew has received due to his status, he remains a person of means. In 2007, he managed to secure £15m from the sale of a property that had been a wedding present from the queen, as an instance.
Why Now?
The seemingly endless list of scandals involving Andrew has become intolerable for the monarch and other high-ranking family members.
His friendship with the jailed sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein has again in the headlines following revelations Andrew had told him “we are in this together” in a message dispatched months subsequent to his assertion to have ended communication.
Additionally, there were stories about his connections with an alleged Chinese spy and, this week, extracts were published from the book released after death of Giuffre, who took her own life in April. She alleged the prince “thought that engaging sexually with her was his entitlement”.
Furthermore, the sovereign is scheduled to make a historic visit to see the pontiff soon, during which he will be the first English monarch since Henry VIII split with Rome in 1534 to worship openly with the pope and leader of Catholicism. He would not desire that trip to be overshadowed by further adverse coverage about his brother.
What Was the Response?
Although he stated his sister had been “vindicated” by the move, her sibling Sky Roberts informed a newspaper that the prince's style should be revoked for “genuine accountability” to be achieved.
The republican campaign group Republic has also said the move is “insufficient and delayed”, noting: “Andrew remains facing allegations of sexual misconduct and abuse of office. He ought to be stripped of every honor and his military position and should undergo a legal probe. Not using silly medieval titles is not a punishment that matches the accusations.”
