‘Embarrassed’ residents of Prince Andrew Road demand title is modified after royal is axed
People living on a road named after the shamed Royal say they want it changed and find having to mention their address ’embarassing’ after Andrew’s fall from grace
People living on Prince Andrew Road say their address is “embarrassing” and they want it to be changed.
The Broadstairs street is one of several locations across the country bearing the name.
Andrew Mountbatten Windsor was stripped of his title of Prince by King Charles last week, following months of pressure over his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Andrew has always denied wrongdoing – but now residents of Prince Andrew Road want the street name altered.
Patricia Brown, 84, said: “When I went to buy something, even yesterday, and you had to give your address, the man who was selling it to me said, ‘That’s not a very nice address to have, is it?’
“It’s embarrassing, people keep saying it to you.
“I just think it’s disgusting that it’s gone on so long, really.”
Neighbour Frank Flint shared similar sentiments.
He said: “It should definitely be changed.
“It’s not a name that we like any more. He’s just a horrible person now.
“It’s taken this long, they should have got rid of him sooner.”
The 74-year-old said it can be swapped to “anything but Andrew, as long as it’s a good name”.
It’s not just social embarrassment that the street’s title has caused.
Residents have even seen the signs vandalised with graffiti.
Lauren Holness, 37, who has lived on Prince Andrew Road for 25 years, said: “They do that quite a bit.”
But Vincent Njoku, of Prince Andrew Road, Broadstairs, thinks rebranding the road is not needed.
“Changing the name now will bring a sort of confusion to some people,” he said.
“Renaming it, it looks as if we are starting from the beginning again.”
A Thanet District Council spokesperson said everyone on the street would need to agree for the name to be changed.
“Street names are usually decided by developers and go through a street naming and numbering process,” they said.
“Any change to a street name must be agreed by 100% of that street’s residents as changes can incur costs to individuals.
“In the event of an application to change the name of Prince Andrew Road in Broadstairs, the request would most likely be made via the Parish Council to the Thanet District Council street naming and numbering department.
“To date, the council has not received an application to do so.”
