The Reasons the Duke of York Has Relinquished His Royal Titles – and What It Means for the Royal Family
In a statement issued by Buckingham Palace, the king's brother has declared he is relinquishing his royal titles, such as the Duke of York. Below is an overview of what was announced – and what remains unchanged.
What Has the Prince Announced?
Having already withdrawn as a active member of the monarchy in 2019, the prince has now decided to “take additional measures” and agree to refrain from using the “honor or the honours which have been conferred upon” him.
But he also used the statement to emphatically rejecting – as he has always done – the accusations of misconduct made against him; albeit having paid out a substantial sum to settle the legal claim filed by Virginia Giuffre – an agreement in which he admitted no liability and firmly denied any claims of improper conduct.
There has existed ongoing scrutiny on the monarchy regarding the allegations against Andrew – particularly after his ill-fated Newsnight interview with Emily Maitlis in 2019. He presently states that his actions are to safeguard the royal family from additional harm resulting from media scrutiny.
Has the King Stripped Him of His Honors?
Not at all. And, while this might be viewed as a mere formality, it is significant in two respects: initially, it enables the prince to openly state to have behaved with integrity in defence of the monarchy. As stated in his statement: “I have chosen, as I always have, to put my duty to my family and the nation first.”
Additionally, while he has agreed to abstain from using it, the prince keeps his ducal title, along with the honors the Earl of Inverness and Baron Killyleagh and the esteemed Garter role as a member of the Order of the Garter. Similar to the royal style title, they are effectively dormant.
He remains a prince and eighth in succession to the throne. Theoretically, he is also a potential stand-in for the monarch – and may deputize for the king if he is overseas or unwell. Although the palace has made clear that, realistically, he would not be called upon to fulfil this role.
Nevertheless, it is telling that Andrew’s statement indicated this choice was made “in discussion with the monarch”. There seems highly likely that, behind the scenes, the palace advocated for this in the aim of distancing the institution from Andrew.
Why Was He Not Formally Stripped of All of His Titles?
To revoke a dukedom would require an act of parliament, and would constitute an unprecedented step in full view of the nation – it has not occurred to a senior royal in over a century – that it would likely cause more reputational damage for the royals.
The prince remains still a prince. At his birth in 1960, he was automatically such as the son of a monarch. This could only be altered if a letters patent was enacted by the reigning monarch.
The entire procedure might ultimately being drawn-out, meaning the goal of quickly addressing the issue – at least for the royal family’s purposes – would not necessarily be achieved.
What Does It Mean for Andrew?
Embarrassment, probably more than anything else. The statement represents an substantial reduction of status he has resisted for a long time.
The prince and his former spouse, Sarah, continue to reside in Royal Lodge, notwithstanding rumoured attempts by his brother to encourage Andrew to relocate of the 30-room Crown Estate property in the Windsor estate.
While little light has been shed on exactly how much money the prince has obtained as a result of his status, he continues to be a person of means. Back in 2007, he managed to secure £15m by selling a home that had been a gift from the queen, for example.
Why Now?
The continual series of controversies involving Andrew has become unacceptable for the monarch and other high-ranking family members.
His association with the convicted sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein is once again in the headlines after it emerged Andrew had told him “we share this situation” in a message dispatched months after he claimed to have ended communication.
There have also been stories about his connections with a suspected Chinese spy and, this week, extracts appeared from the book released after death of Giuffre, who died by suicide in April. She claimed Andrew “believed that engaging sexually with her was his entitlement”.
Moreover, the sovereign is scheduled to undertake a significant trip to see the pontiff next week, when he will become the initial British king after Henry the Eighth broke from the Catholic Church in 1534 to worship openly with the pope and head of the Catholic church. He would not desire that trip to be marred by more negative headlines about Andrew.
What Was the Response?
Although he stated Giuffre had been “vindicated” by the move, her sibling Sky Roberts has told the Times that the prince's style ought to be removed for “genuine accountability” to be done.
The anti-monarchist campaign group Republic has also said the move is “insufficient and delayed”, adding: “Andrew remains accused of sexual misconduct and abuse of office. He ought to be stripped of every honor and his navy rank and should face a legal probe. Not using archaic honors is not a punishment that fits the offences.”
