A bill is being presented to Parliament today, aiming to authorize the King to officially strip Prince Andrew of his dukedom. Rachael Maskell, the MP for York Central, is leading the proposal to empower the monarch to revoke titles.
The move follows Prince Andrew’s decision to relinquish his use of the Duke of York title, knighthood, and role as a Royal Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter due to mounting controversy surrounding his connections to Jeffrey Epstein. Despite denying any misconduct, the Prince still holds his dukedom, which requires parliamentary action for its removal.
Ms. Maskell, an independent MP, emphasized the need for Parliament or the monarch to have the authority to remove titles that are no longer in use. Her succinctly titled bill, The Removal of Titles Bill, aims to address this issue and seeks support from Parliament.
However, the bill’s passage hinges on government backing, with ministers closely watching Buckingham Palace’s stance. Calls for legal reforms have intensified amid ongoing allegations, putting pressure on the government to consider changes.
Once the bill is officially published, Ms. Maskell intends to distribute copies to Buckingham Palace and Keir Starmer to garner support. She envisions discussions between the palace and Parliament to evaluate the necessity and feasibility of the proposed legislation.
Beyond Prince Andrew, the bill would also encompass peerages, extending its scope to potentially target errant members of the House of Lords like Baroness Michelle Mone and Lord Mandelson. Ms. Maskell clarified that while the bill’s genesis lies in current events, it is designed as a tool for future situations involving various titles.
Notably, Prince Andrew will no longer utilize his wedding day titles, including Duke of York, Earl of Inverness, and Baron Killyleagh, along with his knighthood and Garter role. The existing Titles Deprivation Act of 1917, initially crafted to strip titles from those aligned with enemies during World War I, may not be applicable in the current context.
A recent YouGov poll revealed that a significant majority of Britons support the formal removal of Prince Andrew’s dukedom, with 63% strongly endorsing the idea and 17% somewhat in favor. Just a small percentage opposed the move, while a notable portion remained undecided.