Andrew requested to surrender freedom of town honour as ex-Prince underneath mounting strain
Elected members of the City of London Corporation have agreed to write to the former prince inviting him to relinquish the honour he received in 2012
Andrew Mountbatten Windsor has been asked to give up another honour(Image: REUTERS)
Elected members of the City of London Corporation have agreed to pen a letter to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, inviting him to give up his freedom of the city.
The ex-prince was bestowed with the honour in 2012, a representative for the local authority confirmed. In a statement issued on Thursday, a spokesperson said: “Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor received the freedom of the City of London in 2012 by virtue of patrimony, which is inherited as the child of a freeman and constitutes a legal right.
“Applications via patrimony are not considered or endorsed by our elected members, and there is no effective legal mechanism to remove this type of freedom.
“Elected members have today agreed to write to Mr Mountbatten-Windsor, inviting him to formally relinquish the freedom.
“They will consider the response received, if any, at a future meeting and determine what action may be taken.”
Meanwhile, King Charles may have cut ties with his brother Andrew for good as the disgraced former Prince remains frozen out in the wake of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.
While other senior royals appear to be softening their stance, the 77-year-old monarch is reportedly standing firm, with insiders claiming there is “no chance whatsoever” of a brotherly reunion.
Speculation of a royal thaw emerged after Prince Edward made a secret trip to visit Andrew in exile at Sandringham.
It was followed by reports that Princess Anne had reached out to check on the ex-Duke’s wellbeing following his arrest in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
But sources close to the Palace have been quick to shut down any hopes of the King following suit.
The relationship between the brothers has been icy for years, but the current silence is being described as “deafening.” A source told the Daily Mail: “The hard reality is that the King may never speak to Andrew again.
“It would take an enormous shift in the King’s thinking for them even to be in the same room. The fact that Edward has now visited Andrew and that Anne has spoken to him too might appear to suggest that Charles might be contemplating some kind of rapprochement – but that’s completely wrong.”
Sources claim the King feels he was “lied to” regarding the Epstein scandal, which has decimated any remaining trust.
There is also a massive constitutional nightmare at play. If the King were to speak with Andrew while he faces potential criminal charges, it could trigger a legal collapse.
Because court cases are brought in the King’s name, His Majesty cannot be called to give evidence. If Andrew’s lawyers argued that conversations with the King were vital to the case, the entire prosecution could fall apart.
The source added: “The unequivocal advice he has been given in regard to Andrew is that he is damaging the monarchy. So the King has to completely disassociate himself both publicly and privately from him.”
