City of London Corporation Invites Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor To Relinquish Freedom Of The City

Elected members of the City of London Corporation have agreed to write to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor inviting him to formally relinquish his Freedom of the City of London, after the disgraced former prince received the honour in 2012 by virtue of patrimony.

“- Published Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been invited by councillors to relinquish his inherited Freedom of the City of London”

BBC

Multiple outlets report that the corporation says the freedom is inherited as the child of a freeman and constitutes a legal right, and that “there is no effective legal mechanism to remove this type of Freedom.”

BBC

The City of London Corporation spokesperson quoted by the BBC said, “Elected members have today agreed to write to Mr Mountbatten-Windsor, inviting him to formally relinquish the Freedom.”

The Independent similarly quotes the corporation’s statement that “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 London Evening Standard repeats the same core language, stating that “Elected members have today agreed to write to Mr Mountbatten-Windsor, inviting him to formally relinquish the freedom.”

RTE.ie likewise reports the same statement that “They will consider the response received, if any, at a future meeting and determine what action may be taken.”

The Freedom of the City of London is described by the BBC and other outlets as one of the City of London’s ancient traditions, believed to have begun in 1237 and enabling recipients to carry out their trade.

The BBC adds that “the freedom is believed to have begun in 1237 and enabled recipients to carry out their trade,” while also noting that “Now, the honour is awarded to people nominated by councillors.”

GB News

The Independent similarly says the freedom is believed to have begun in 1237 and that it is typically awarded to people nominated by corporation councillors, with Sir Lenny Henry and Cate Blanchett among those to have received it.

The BBC and Hello! Magazine both describe an unusual ceremonial benefit tied to London Bridge, with Hello! stating it “entitles recipients to walk sheep over London Bridge.”

The BBC also explains that the honour historically allowed recipients to walk sheep over London Bridge “with no tariff,” and that the tradition is “one of the City of London’s ancient traditions.”

In the case of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the outlets tie the award to inheritance rather than a councillor nomination, repeatedly citing that he received it “by virtue of patrimony” because his father Prince Philip was a Freeman.

The invitation to relinquish the Freedom comes amid a broader sequence of sanctions and legal scrutiny tied to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, which the BBC and Daily Express both connect to the stripping of his royal titles and honours.

“Elected members of the City of London Corporation have written to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, inviting him to relinquish his Freedom of the City, a spokesman for the corporation has confirmed”

GB News

The BBC says the former prince was stripped of his royal titles, styles and honours by King Charles last year after “further details of his relationship with the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein came to light.”

It also reports that in February Andrew was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office after correspondence in the Epstein Files suggested he may have passed on sensitive trade information, and that he was released under investigation after spending 11 hours in custody.

The Daily Express similarly states that Andrew was arrested on his 66th birthday in February on suspicion of misconduct in a public office and that he was later released under investigation, just 11 hours later.

The BBC adds that he has denied any wrongdoing, and it notes he “remains eighth in the line of succession to the throne.”

The BBC also places his current living situation in Norfolk, saying he is “now living on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk and is privately funded by his elder brother, the King.”

The City of London’s move to invite Andrew to relinquish his Freedom is reported as following earlier removals of honours connected to Epstein, including Sarah Ferguson’s loss of the Freedom of the City of York.

The BBC says Sarah Ferguson lost her freedom of the city of York title in March after councillors voted unanimously to remove the honour over her links to Epstein, and it adds that she and Andrew were given the honour as a wedding present from York in 1987 during a visit to the city.

London Evening Standard

The BBC also states that councillors removed Andrew’s freedom of the city of York in 2022 and that the meeting at the time heard that he was the first person ever to have it taken away.

The Independent repeats that Sarah Ferguson lost her freedom of the city of York title in March after councillors voted unanimously to remove the honour over her links to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein, and it again cites the wedding present in 1987.

The London Evening Standard likewise ties the London Freedom announcement to the York removal, saying “The announcement by the corporation comes after Sarah Ferguson lost her freedom of the city of York title in March” and that councillors removed Andrew’s freedom of the city of York in 2022.

Daily Express frames the London Freedom relinquishment as another step in “a string of titles he has lost over his association with Epstein,” and it notes that the council previously investigated whether it could strip Andrew of the title but determined the historic honour could not be removed because of his right to inherit it.

The City of London Corporation’s stated plan is to consider any response received at a future meeting and determine what action may be taken, while also insisting that the freedom cannot be removed through a legal mechanism because it was inherited.

“He was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office on his 66th birthday”

London Evening Standard

The BBC says the corporation “will consider the response received, if any, at a future meeting and determine what action may be taken,” and it adds that “there is no effective legal mechanism to remove this type of Freedom.”

RTE.ie

The Independent and RTE.ie repeat the same formulation, with the Independent quoting that “They will consider the response received, if any, at a future meeting and determine what action may be taken.”

GB News similarly reports that elected members have written to Andrew inviting him to relinquish the honour voluntarily, and it states that “the corporation has no mechanism in place to remove it once it has been bestowed on a member.”

The BBC also describes the broader political and constitutional implications of removing him from the line of succession, saying “Removing him would require an Act of Parliament in the UK and the agreement of all 15 Commonwealth realms where the King is head of state.”

It further says “So far, Canada, Australia and New Zealand have all supported his removal,” while noting that Andrew “remains eighth in the line of succession to the throne.”