Sad destiny of pubs named after shamed Prince Andrew in aftermath of Epstein scandal
Pubs up and down Great Britain named The Duke of York have been forced to close their doors in the aftermath of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s friendship with Jeffrey Epstein being revealed
Several pubs have closed for good(Image: In Pictures via Getty Images)
With rising energy bills bringing up costs and nosy neighbours pressuring councils into bringing forward closing times it seems the boozers of Great Britain just can’t catch a break.
Things are even harder, it seems, for certain pubs, especially those named in honour of one of Britain’s most dishonourable royals, with more than a dozen establishments called ‘The Duke of York’ having closed since Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s friendship with the paedophile and people trafficker Jeffrey Epstein was revealed.
One of the first to close its doors following the scandal was Windsor’s very own Duke of York, which sits just a mile from the famous royal castle and shut in July 2022, according to real ale campaign group CAMRA. Not only is the pub no longer serving, the whole building has been knocked down, with developers replacing the unfortunately named boozer with shops and flats.
Another Duke of York to be put on the chopping block could be found in Chorley, Lancashire. The popular pub was built way back in 1782, when the Duke of York was called Prince Frederik and was the son George III.
Punters were left fuming when the local council approved plans to turn it into 20 bedsits.
Councillor Alex Hilton slammed the idea, saying: “There are dog kennels that are bigger than some of these rooms.” In October, a Chinese developer bought the Duke of York in Pomeroy, Derbyshire, in a transaction arranged by a local property investment firm.
It’s unclear what will happen to the pub and attached adults-only campsite.
Another Duke of York, in Gosburton, Lincolshire, got permission last year to be converted into homes. The owner’s daughter, Lucy Stevens, said the venue had “been in decline the past five years”, according to the Daily Express, while a South London with the same name is currently being turned into a restaurant.
Some Duke of York pubs have stayed open but changed their name, with one establishment in Blackpool renaming itself ‘The Duke’ after getting new management last year.
The new landlord of Fitzrovia in West London’s Duke of York pub cracked a hilarious Prince Andrew joke as they told the Daily Star of their plans to remove all traces of the shamed royal but keep the same name.
A painting of the late Queen’s son hung from the side of the Fitzrovia pub since 2014 when then-landlady Debi Sickelmore was given permission to use the Prince’s likeness.
The boozer was taken over by McMullen and Sons brewery, who have plans for a refurbishment. Pub group director Heydon Mizon was happy to let Ms Sickelmore take the portrait of the troublesome Prince as a retirement present.
He told the Star that he will be using a different image from now on, saying: “There have been many Duke of Yorks over the years. It would be fair to say that we will choose a different signage scheme for the pub in future.”
