Andrew’s new shame as York strips him of prized city freedom
PRINCE Andrew was last night stripped of his honorary Freedom of the City of York.
Councillors who voted to remove the status also called on him to ‘do the right thing’ and relinquish his Duke of York title or for it to be taken away.
It follows the 62-year-old prince’s outof-court settlement with Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of sexually assaulting her when she was a teenager.
Andrew was facing a civil court trial in the US over allegations – which he has always vehemently denied – that she was trafficked to the prince for sex by the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
But the shame of a high-profile court case was avoided when he settled in February with no admission of liability for an undisclosed sum, thought to be about £12million.
The Queen had already removed all his military and royal patronages and the duke has also stopped using the style His Royal Highness in an official capacity.
Now he has lost his honorary Freedom of the City of York, given in 1987 as a wedding gift after his marriage to Sarah Ferguson. City councillors voted unanimously yesterday to strip him of the title at a special full council meeting.
Lib Dem Darryl Smalley, York Council’s executive member for culture, leisure and communities, said it was the highest honour the city could bestow on ‘accomplished people who carry it with pride’.
He added: ‘Having been stripped of his military roles and royal patronages by the Queen, we believe it is right to remove all links that Prince Andrew still has with our great city.
‘I was pleased to see councillors of all parties support this motion and make it clear that it is no longer appropriate for Prince Andrew to represent York and its residents. The removal of this honorary title sends the right message that we as a city stand with victims of abuse.
‘The next logical step is now for Prince Andrew to do the right thing and relinquish his Duke of York title. If he fails to do so, the Government and Buckingham Palace must step in to remove his title to finally end Prince Andrew’s connection to York.’
Aisling Musson, for York Labour Group, said councillors owed it to the people of York – ‘in particular those affected by sexual violence, abuse or human trafficking’ – to ‘remove this stain of association on our city’.
Independent Mark Warters said: ‘While it is purely a symbolic act, it does send a very strong signal from this city.’ Dave Taylor, another independent, said: ‘I hope in the future the monarch might appoint the Princess Beatrice to be Duchess of York.
‘In contrast to his father, she is personable, intelligent and does her homework and reads her briefing paper when visiting the city.’
▪ Princess Eugenie’s podcast about modern slavery – announced in 2019 but quietly shelved amid controversy over her father Prince Andrew – is finally going ahead.
She will co-host the programme, Floodlight, with her friend Julia de Boinville, with whom she founded the Anti-Slavery Collective.
‘This stain of association’