Shamed Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has ignored a call to relinquish one of his few remaining honors, facing imminent formal condemnation. Despite being stripped of all royal titles by the King in October, he still holds the Freedom of the City of London, received in 2012 due to his late father, Prince Philip, being a Freeman of London.
Elected members of the City of London Corporation reached out to Mountbatten-Windsor last month, urging him to renounce the honor after a review revealed its irremovability. However, the ex-prince has not responded to the Corporation’s letter, prompting members to proceed with a motion of censure at the upcoming Court of Common Council meeting on 21 May.
A spokesperson for the City of London Corporation informed the BBC that despite their request for him to formally let go of the Freedom, Mountbatten-Windsor’s lack of reply led to the decision to take action through a motion of disapproval. As there is currently no legal means to revoke the Freedom, the Corporation’s focus remains on supporting victims of sexual abuse.
The Freedom of the City of London is primarily symbolic and is granted to individuals nominated by corporation councillors. This centuries-old honor, dating back to 1237, traditionally allowed recipients the privilege to conduct trade. Recent recipients include astronaut Major Tim Peake and comedian Sir Lenny Henry, who also partake in the quirky tradition of walking sheep over London Bridge.
Andrew’s siblings, including the King, hold the same honor. His recent arrest in February, on suspicion of public office misconduct, has led the government to contemplate legislative measures to remove him from the line of succession, currently eighth in line to the throne. Allegations suggest he shared confidential information with Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted pedophile, during his role as a British trade envoy. Despite his denial of any wrongdoing and absence of formal charges, he was stripped of the freedom of York in 2022 due to revelations about his ties to Epstein.
