Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to be stripped of last remaining honour Freedom of the City of London
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is set to lose one of his final remaining honours, nearly a year after he was stripped of his royal titles because of his links to the late paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Moves are underway to remove the former prince of his Freedom of the City of London, an award he received in 2021 because his father Prince Philip had been a freeman.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is to be stripped of one of his final remaining honours. AP
The Freedom of the City of London is an ancient tradition, believed to have begun in 1237 and enabled recipients to carry out their trade.
Recipients can be nominated or apply for the award, but it can also be inherited, as in the case of Andrew. Individuals who have contributed significantly to public life, or who have celebrated a major achievement, can be offered the award.
In May, the City of London Corporation, the body which administers the ancient city centre, criticised Andrew for failing to surrender the award “despite being asked to do so”.
The corporation is now developing a process to remove Andrew’s right to the Freedom of the City, as it currently does not have the power to do so.
A spokesperson said: “Our thoughts remain with the victims and survivors of Jeffrey Epstein, and with all victims and survivors of sexual abuse and exploitation.
“We are developing a process that would allow the Freedom of the City of London to be removed where appropriate, having determined that there is currently no effective lawful mechanism to do so.
“If elected Members approve the new process, they will then consider whether Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s Freedom should be removed.”
The corporation said it would prefer to carry out its own process to revoke Andrew’s honour, rather than drafting a Bill which Parliament would have to pass − a process that could take much longer.
King Charles removed his brother’s royal titles and dukedom in October over his past links to Jeffrey Epstein. AP
In February, Andrew was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office following allegations he shared sensitive information with Epstein during his time as the UK’s trade envoy.
He was taken into custody on February 19, his 66th birthday, but later released. No charges have been laid.
Andrew has always denied any wrongdoing.
In October last year, King Charles formally stripped his brother of his prince title and dukedom over his association with the convicted sex offender.
Earlier this week The Times reported that Andrew would not be invited to join the king and queen for the traditional summer holiday at Balmoral, for the second year.
The monarch has “no plans” for the former Duke of York to join him for during the break, and that Andrew appearing alongside the rest of the family would raise “considerable sensitivities”, according to the publication.
Andrew now lives on the royal family’s private Norfolk estate, Sandringham, having moved into a five-bedroom farmhouse called Marsh Farm in April following his eviction from Royal Lodge in Windsor weeks earlier.
DOCUMENTED REFERENCES
Exploring Documented Records
Public interest in the Epstein case continues not only because of court proceedings and testimonies, but also due to the growing body of documented records that help researchers and readers understand the broader context. Beyond legal files and media reports, some independent projects have organized publicly available data connected to Epstein’s activities.
One example is a structured archive of documented Amazon order records, where purchases are cataloged with dates and product details. While individual items do not prove wrongdoing on their own, examining documented information alongside established facts helps paint a clearer picture of the environment and circumstances surrounding the case.
Browse the structured archive of documented order records
For readers looking to review primary-source style data rather than interpretations, exploring compiled records can provide additional context to the broader discussion.
