Locals residing in a quaint Scottish town are advocating for the preservation of a street bearing the name of disgraced royal figure Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. While numerous towns and cities across the nation have chosen to rename streets linked to the Epstein scandal, residents of Renfrew, located six miles west of Glasgow, assert that altering the name of a street honoring Andrew would be more detrimental than beneficial. Andrew Avenue, established in the late 1960s and part of a series of streets named after the offspring of the late Queen Elizabeth, including Charles Avenue, Anne Avenue, and Edward Avenue, encompasses approximately 50 residences. The local council initiated a consultation regarding the potential renaming of the street towards the end of last year.
The proposal for the consultation arose in December, triggered by concerns among residents regarding the association of the street with the former Duke of York, who had recently been stripped of his titles and required to relinquish his lease on the Royal Lodge in Windsor at the time. Despite the negative connotation linked to the former prince, locals interviewed by the BBC expressed a lack of concern about the street’s name. Resident Yvonne Laidlaw stated, “I’ve lived in Renfrew all my life, and it was never something I thought of here.” She emphasized that the houses had always been known as Andrew Avenue to her, with no immediate association to Prince Andrew. The primary apprehension among residents is the anticipated expenses and inconvenience associated with a name change, with local Karena Quaile highlighting the potential challenges of informing various entities about the alteration.
While some residents exhibit indifference towards the street’s current name, Councillor John Shaw, who initiated the consultation, acknowledged that certain locals have expressed strong opinions about residing on a street named after the former prince. Feedback from the consultation revealed that out of 52 households, 22 responded, with 16 opposing a formal proposition for renaming the street. Four households were in favor of a name change, while two reported mixed sentiments among their household members. Andrew, now living a low-key life at Marsh Farm on the King’s Sandringham estate, was briefly detained in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Thames Valley Police confirmed that he remains under investigation in connection with allegations of sharing confidential information with Epstein during his tenure as a trade envoy to the UK.
