Why Prince Andrew Has Surrendered His Official Honors – and What It Means for the Monarchy
In a statement issued via the royal household, the king's brother has declared that he will be relinquishing his official honors, such as the Duke of York. Here is an overview of what has been announced – and what remains unchanged.
What Has the Prince Said?
Having already withdrawn as a active member of the monarchy in 2019, Andrew has currently chosen to “take additional measures” and consent to refrain from using the “title or the honours which have been conferred upon” him.
However, he employed the announcement to emphatically rejecting – consistent with his past statements – the accusations of sexual impropriety made against him; albeit having paid out a substantial sum to settle the legal claim brought by Virginia Giuffre – a settlement in which he accepted no fault and strongly rejected all allegations of improper conduct.
There has been persistent pressure on the monarchy regarding the claims against Andrew – particularly after his ill-fated Newsnight interview with Emily Maitlis in 2019. He presently states he is acting to protect his relatives from further damage caused by media scrutiny.
Did the Monarch Stripped Him of His Honors?
Not at all. And although this could be dismissed as a simple procedure, it is significant in multiple ways: first, it enables the prince to publicly claim to have acted honourably in defence of the crown. As he said in his statement: “I have chosen, as I always have, to put my duty to my family and the nation first.”
Second, although he consented not to use it, the prince keeps his ducal title, as well as the honors the Earl of Inverness and Baron Killyleagh and the esteemed position as Royal Knight Companion of the prestigious order. Similar to the royal style honorific, they are effectively dormant.
He continues to be royalty and eighth in the line of succession. In theory, he is also still a counsellor of state – and can stand in for the sovereign should he be overseas or ill. Although royal officials has made clear that, in practice, he would not be called upon to fulfil this role.
Nevertheless, it is telling that the prince's announcement said the decision was made “in discussion with the monarch”. There seems little doubt that, behind the scenes, the royal household pushed for this in the aim of distancing the institution from Andrew.
Why Hasn’t He Formally Stripped of All of His Titles?
To revoke a dukedom would require legislative action, and would constitute such a historic move publicly before the public – it has not happened to a high-ranking royal in over a century – that it could result in further reputational damage for the royals.
Andrew is also still a prince. When he was born in 1960, he was automatically such as the son of a monarch. This could only be changed if a royal decree was issued by the king.
The entire procedure might ultimately being protracted, implying the objective of swiftly resolving the matter – particularly for the royal family’s purposes – would not necessarily be met.
What Are the Implications for Andrew?
Embarrassment, likely above all. The announcement signifies an effective loss of standing he has resisted for years.
The prince and his former spouse, Sarah, continue to reside in their Windsor residence, despite rumoured attempts by the king to persuade Andrew to move out of the thirty-room Crown Estate property in the Windsor estate.
Although limited information has been revealed about exactly how much funds the prince has obtained as a result of his status, he continues to be a person of means. Back in 2007, he managed to raise £15m by selling a property that had been a gift from the queen, as an instance.
Why Now?
The seemingly endless series of controversies involving Andrew has become intolerable for the monarch and other senior royals.
His friendship with the convicted sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein has again in the headlines after it emerged that the prince stated to him “we are in this together” in a message sent three months after he claimed to have ended communication.
There have also been stories about his association with a suspected Chinese spy and, this week, excerpts were published from the posthumous memoir of Giuffre, who took her own life in April. She alleged the prince “believed that engaging sexually with her was his birthright”.
Moreover, the king is scheduled to make a historic visit to see the pontiff soon, when he will become the initial British king after Henry the Eighth broke from the Catholic Church in 1534 to worship openly with the Holy Father and head of the Catholic church. He will not have wanted that trip to be marred by further adverse coverage about his brother.
What Has Been the Response?
Although he stated Giuffre had been “vindicated” by the move, Giuffre’s brother Sky Roberts has told the Times that Andrew’s honorary prince title should be revoked for “true justice” to be achieved.
The republican advocacy organization Republic has also said the move is “too little, too late”, adding: “Andrew remains accused of sexual misconduct and abuse of office. He should be divested of every honor and his military position and should face a criminal investigation. Not using silly medieval titles is not a penalty that fits the offences.”
