The UK Government has provided a clear update regarding Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s ongoing status as the Duke of York. Although former prince Andrew was officially stripped of his “HRH” style and princely title by King Charles on October 30, the peerage of Duke of York, granted to him upon his marriage to Sarah Ferguson in 1986, remains legally his.
King Charles’s announcement followed intense public scrutiny of Andrew’s controversial connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Alongside losing his royal styles, Andrew was also removed from the Roll of the Peerage, meaning he can no longer be officially referred to by the title Duke of York in formal government or official records.
However, according to an expert Commons research briefing, removal from the Roll of the Peerage does not revoke the peerage itself. Legally, Andrew remains the Duke of York unless Parliament passes an Act to remove the honour officially.
READ MORE: Tom Read Wilson Opens Up About His Fears Ahead of I’m a Celebrity Jungle Challenge
READ MORE: Met Office Advises Caution as Significant Snowfall Threatens UK Roads
In response to questions raised in Parliament—specifically a written inquiry from Labour peer Viscount Stansgate—the Government stated there is no current need for legislation to enforce the removal of Andrew’s titles. Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent, responding on behalf of the Government, explained that the styles “Prince” and “Royal Highness” were removed via Letters Patent issued by Buckingham Palace, and that removal from the Roll of the Peerage means the title will no longer be formally used.
Despite this, Andrew retains the legal right to the peerage unless legislation is passed. Ministers have so far shown no interest in pursuing such an Act of Parliament.
The former Duke of York was stripped of his royal titles following “serious lapses of judgment” related to his relationship with Epstein. Plans have been announced for Andrew to relocate from the Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park to King Charles’s private estate at Sandringham by 2026, marking a form of internal exile.
Buckingham Palace hopes that these measures will finally put a halt to the scandal that has overshadowed Andrew’s public life. Meanwhile, unresolved allegations remain concerning Virginia Giuffre, who claimed she was sexually abused by Andrew as a teenager—a case Andrew settled out of court for millions in 2022 while continuously denying all allegations and asserting he never met her.
Further investigation is ongoing, including an inquiry by the Metropolitan Police regarding claims that Andrew passed personal information about Giuffre to his bodyguard in 2011 for investigatory purposes.