Andrew Mountbatten‑Windsor has been invited by councillors to relinquish one of his last remaining formal honours — the Freedom of the City of London.
The former Duke of York was granted the honour in 2012 by patrimony, after inheriting it from his father, Prince Philip, who was a Freeman of the City.
However, the City of London Corporation (CLC), which governs the local authority covering London’s historic financial district, says it has no legal mechanism to revoke the honour, despite mounting calls for it to be removed.
In a statement, a CLC spokesperson said elected members had agreed to write to Mountbatten‑Windsor "inviting him to formally relinquish the Freedom".
"The City of London Corporation will consider any response received, if any, at a future meeting and determine what action may be taken," the spokesperson said.
They added that freedoms granted through patrimony are automatic and not subject to approval by councillors.
"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," the spokesperson said.
Believed to date back to 1237, the Freedom is one of the City’s oldest surviving traditions. Historically, it granted recipients the right to conduct trade within the Square Mile.
While largely symbolic today, the honour still carried a number of ceremonial privileges, including the right to drive sheep across London Bridge without paying a toll, to carry a naked sword in public, and to be escorted home by police when drunk rather than placed in a cell.
Andrew was stripped of his remaining royal titles, styles and honours by King Charles last year, following renewed scrutiny of his relationship with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
In February, Andrew was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office, after correspondence contained in the so‑called Epstein Files suggested he may have passed on sensitive trade‑related information. He was released under investigation after spending 11 hours in police custody.
He has denied any wrongdoing.
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