Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor retains his title as the Duke of York under current legal provisions, as the Government has indicated that no legislative action is necessary to revoke the title. The King recently stripped Andrew of his prince title and HRH style, as well as removing him from the Roll of the Peerage as the Duke of York. However, the actual dukedom, which Andrew acquired upon marrying Sarah Ferguson in July 1986, cannot be revoked without the enactment of a law by Parliament, as confirmed by government officials.

While Andrew cannot be officially referred to as a duke in formal documents, the peerage itself remains intact, as stated in a detailed analysis from the Commons. Questions have arisen in Westminster about the potential introduction of legislation to enforce the King’s decision to rescind all of Andrew’s titles.

In response to an inquiry from Labour peer Viscount Stansgate, Labour representative Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent clarified that following Buckingham Palace’s announcement on October 30, the titles of ‘Prince’ and ‘Royal Highness’ were removed via Letters Patent. The Duke of York title has also been stricken from the Roll of the Peerage and will no longer be utilized officially, obviating the necessity for legislative action to implement the announced measures.

The decision to strip Andrew of his titles comes amidst mounting controversies surrounding his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and increased public scrutiny following the tragic passing of Virginia Giuffre, a key accuser, in April.

Andrew is expected to transition from the Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park to the King’s private Sandringham estate in the upcoming year, as part of the changes. Buckingham Palace aims to put an end to the ongoing scandal surrounding Andrew, sparked by allegations from Ms. Giuffre claiming she was sexually exploited as a teenager by the former prince.

In 2022, Andrew settled a civil sexual assault case with Ms. Giuffre, emphasizing that the settlement was not an admission of wrongdoing and vehemently denying the accusations. The Metropolitan Police is presently investigating claims that Andrew shared Ms. Giuffre’s personal information with his taxpayer-funded bodyguard in 2011, requesting an inquiry.

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