UK

MPs call for law to strip Prince Andrew of his dukedom

20 October 2025
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The King and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer are facing calls to introduce a law to strip Prince Andrew of his dukedom.

Andrew relinquished his use of the Duke of York title amid the long-running fallout of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal and the publication of Virginia Giuffre’s posthumous memoirs.

Formally stripping him of the title would require an Act of Parliament but Charles is believed to view the largely symbolic move as a waste of parliamentary time and the Government has said it will be guided by the royal family’s views.

But the Westminster leaders of the Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru are among MPs calling for legislation.

The SNP’s Stephen Flynn said he would “not sit silent” while the family of Virginia Giuffre, and the British public, are “angry and aghast”.

He called for legislation to be used against both Andrew and Lord Mandelson, the former UK ambassador to the US who was sacked due to his own ties with paedophile financier Epstein.

Mr Flynn said: “The family of Virginia Giuffre, whose life was destroyed, are angry and aghast.

“The public across these isles are angry and aghast and they both deserve to know that some MPs share their outrage.

“So I won’t sit silent. If an Act of Parliament is required to strip the likes of Peter Mandelson and Prince Andrew of their titles, then there can be no justification from this Labour Government as to why that is not immediately happening.”

Plaid Cymru’s Liz Saville-Roberts said: “Public funds, police protection and royal privilege have long buffered Prince Andrew from the consequences of his actions. And we’ve paid for all this.

“I will support any efforts to hold royals to the same standards and laws as everyone else – Parliament must have the power to remove privileges from abusers of position.”

The titles and honours Andrew will no longer use include his wedding day titles – Duke of York, the Earl of Inverness and Baron Killyleagh, his knighthood as a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO) and his Garter role as a Royal Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter.

Legislation has been used before to strip titles, notably descendants of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert who were on the German side in the First World War.

The Titles Deprivation Act 1917 was used two years later to strip the titles from Leopold Charles, Duke of Albany, Earl of Clarence and Baron Arklow; Ernest Augustus, Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale, Earl of Armagh; Ernest Augustus, Duke of Brunswick, Prince of Great Britain and Ireland; and Henry, Viscount Taaffe of Corren and Baron of Ballymote.

The law remains in force but as it refers specifically to the First World War, its provisions are unlikely to be relevant today.

Independent MP Rachael Maskell has previously sought to change the law with a private members’ bill that would have given the King power to remove titles.

She told BBC Radio 4’s Today: “I do think it is for Parliament to act.

“I presume the technicalities of that would be that there would have to be a conversation between the Palace and Parliament to indicate that the King was willing to assume those powers.

“But of course, Parliament could press forward with action and legislation if it so chose. And I think we need to find a mechanism in order to achieve that. The private members’ route would be one such measure.”

The Government has indicated that it would not introduce any legislation to strip Andrew of his titles unless the King wanted to.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson told Today: “We would be guided by the royal family in this and I imagine the royal family would want Parliament to continue to dedicate our time to our wider legislative programme, but we will be guided by the monarch.

“It’s why we do support the statement that was issued and the action that has been taken. But of course, Prince Andrew holds the title of prince because he is the son of a monarch, and that’s the situation that we have.”

On Sunday, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said: “I think the royal family have said that they didn’t want to take up parliamentary time with this; there are lots of other things that parliament is discussing, I think it’s right he’s given up his title.”