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On April 17, 2026, it was reported that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor may be asked to voluntarily renounce his Freedom of the City of London. The City of London Corporation intends to request this action following a series of controversies surrounding the former prince.
Andrew, once a prominent royal figure, was stripped of his titles and royal privileges last October by King Charles. This decision was made in light of Andrew’s association with the late Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender. Despite losing his royal status, Andrew had retained the honor of being a freeman of the City of London, which he was awarded in 2012. This honor was granted “by virtue of patrimony,” a tradition that allowed him to inherit the freedom from his father, the late Prince Philip, who was also a freeman.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor will be asked to give up the Freedom of the City of London
Recently, the City of London Corporation faced a dilemma regarding Andrew’s honor following his arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office. A review conducted in March revealed that the corporation lacks the legal authority to revoke the honor due to the manner in which it was originally granted. As a result, they are left with the option of requesting that Andrew voluntarily relinquish this privilege.
A spokesperson for the City of London Corporation clarified the situation, stating, “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.” This statement underscores the unique and hereditary nature of the honor, which complicates any efforts to revoke it without Andrew’s consent.
A spokesman for the City of London Corporation explained: “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.”
The honour – which is believed to have begun in 1237 and enabled recipients to carry out their trade – is typically awarded to people nominated by corporation councillors and all of Andrew’s siblings have the freedom of the City of London, as do the likes of Sir Lenny Henry and Cate Blanchett.
The announcement comes a few weeks after Andrew’s ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, was stripped of the Freedom of the City of York following a unanimous vote from councillors, who cited concerns about the author’s links to Epstein, who died in 2019 aged 66.
The honorary title had been awarded to Sarah in 1987 following her marriage to Andrew, but councillors said the association raised questions about whether she met the standards expected of recipients.
Their motion, passed under Section 249 of the Local Government Act 1972, formally withdrew the status.
The move follows earlier action in 2022 when Andrew – the former Duke of York – was also stripped of the honour.
Following the release of the Epstein files, records from Companies House showed six companies linked to Sarah began winding down operations, while her charity, Sarah’s Trust, announced it would close “for the foreseeable future”.
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