Andrew Could Lose Freedom of the City After London Approves Urgent Process To Strip His Honour

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor faces the potential loss of his Freedom of the City of London after the City of London Corporation approved an urgent new process to remove the civic status in exceptional cases.

The Corporation's Court of Common Council approved the process on Thursday, 10 September, following a legal review that found there had previously been no effective lawful mechanism to remove a Freedom. The new procedure will now be followed 'as a matter of urgency' in relation to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's case, the Corporation said.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor inherited the Freedom in 2012 by patrimony, as the child of a Freeman. The Freedom of the City of London is an ancient civic status believed to date to 1237. It can be obtained through nomination or application, inherited through patrimony, or awarded by the Corporation in recognition of an outstanding contribution to London or public life, or a significant achievement.

Failure To Relinquish City Honour

The Corporation had previously invited Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to relinquish the Freedom voluntarily but said he did not respond to its letter. Elected members subsequently censured him over his failure to act.

That episode was followed by the Corporation's decision to seek a lawful means of removing the Freedom itself, given the absence of an existing procedure to do so.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on 19 February, his 66th birthday, on suspicion of misconduct in public office, in connection with an investigation by Thames Valley Police into allegations that he shared confidential government information with Jeffrey Epstein while serving as the UK's trade envoy. He was released under investigation and has not been charged. He has denied wrongdoing.

He also lost his title of Prince and the style of Royal Highness after Buckingham Palace confirmed in October 2025 that the King had initiated the process to remove his styles, titles and honours. Letters Patent dated 3 November 2025 formally removed the title of Prince and the style of Royal Highness, while his title of Duke of York was separately removed from the Roll of the Peerage.

New City Process To Remove the Freedom

Under the Corporation's new procedure, a person facing removal of their Freedom must be informed in writing of the allegations against them and given an opportunity to make written representations. An initial response period of 14 days applies. If the Corporation's Policy and Resources Committee then refers the matter to the Court of Common Council, the individual concerned is given a further and final opportunity to make written representations before a decision is taken.

The Corporation has not set out a specific date by which a decision on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's Freedom will be reached, saying only that the process will be pursued urgently.

Announcing the move, Policy Chairman Chris Hayward said the new process would now be followed in relation to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's Freedom.

The Freedom of the City is a civic status distinct from royal titles and peerages. Its possible removal would follow a separate legal process from the removal of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's princely style and his removal from the Roll of the Peerage.

No date has been given for when the Corporation expects to conclude its consideration of the case.