Former Prince Andrew invited to give up Freedom of City of London honour
Former Prince Andrew invited to give up Freedom of City of London honour
Elected members of the City of London Corporation have agreed to write to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, requesting that he voluntarily surrender his freedom of the city. The former prince was bestowed the honour back in 2012, according to a spokesperson for the local authority. He received the accolade by patrimony – inherited through his father, Prince Philip, who was himself a freeman of the city.
In a statement issued on Thursday, a City of London Corporation spokesperson 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." One of the City of London's most ancient traditions, the freedom is thought to date back to 1237, originally allowing recipients to practise their trade freely. Ordinarily, the honour is granted to individuals nominated by corporation councillors, with Sir Lenny Henry and Cate Blanchett among its notable recipients. All of Andrew's siblings – the King included – also hold the freedom of the City of London.
The corporation's announcement follows Sarah Ferguson having her freedom of the city of York title stripped in March, after councillors voted unanimously to revoke the honour due to her connections with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein. Both she and Andrew were bestowed the honour as a wedding gift from York in 1987 during a visit to the city. Councillors had already stripped Andrew of his freedom of the city of York back in 2022, with the meeting at the time noting he was the first person in history to have the accolade removed.
Should the former duke agree to surrender the London honour, it would mark yet another title lost in a growing list of distinctions he has been stripped of owing to his association with Epstein.