City of London Moves To Strip Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor of Freedom Honour

The City of London is moving closer to creating a legal route to strip Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor of the Freedom of the City of London after officials confirmed a draft bill is being prepared. The proposal, announced following a meeting of the Court of Common Council on 23 July, could ultimately allow elected members to revoke the civic honour first awarded to him in 2012.

The issue has been under discussion for months after the City of London Corporation previously maintained there was no legal mechanism to withdraw the honour. In March, a spokesperson said the title could not be revoked.

The Corporation has now reversed that position, explaining that while no effective lawful process currently exists, work is under way to establish one.

City of London Seeks Legal Route To Revoke Andrew's Honour

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor received the Freedom of the City of London 'by virtue of patrimony' because his father, Prince Philip, had already been a Freeman. The honour has traditionally been passed down in certain circumstances, but officials say removing it presents a legal challenge under the current framework.

During last week's Court of Common Council meeting, Deputy Marianne Fredericks requested an update on efforts to revoke the honour. In response, Policy Chair Deputy Chris Hayward revealed that the Comptroller and City Solicitor, working alongside the City Remembrancer, had produced a draft legal opinion examining the issue.

According to Hayward, the preliminary conclusion is that the existing process of disenfranchisement, the formal mechanism historically used to remove the Freedom, is no longer fit for purpose.

He told members that the current procedure appears to be 'defective and defunct', leaving the Corporation without a workable legal route to withdraw the honour.

Instead, legal officials are proposing that the Court pass an Act of Common Council which would grant itself explicit powers of disenfranchisement. Hayward also confirmed that alternative options continue to be examined while the legal work progresses.

The City of London Corporation acknowledged public interest in the matter, saying it understood why many people wanted the issue resolved quickly.

'We understand why people want this matter resolved as quickly as possible, and we share that desire,' a Corporation spokesperson said.

Decision Hinges On New Legal Process

Officials stressed that creating the new framework is not a straightforward exercise.

Hayward said the City Solicitor and the Remembrancer had advised that the proposal carries significant constitutional implications, making it essential for members to examine the legislation carefully before approving any changes.

'The City Solicitor and the Remembrancer have both asked me to point out that this is a substantial piece of work with significant constitutional implications which need to be carefully considered by members, to ensure that the new process is, as far as possible, lawful and workable with no unintended consequences,' he said.

The draft bill is expected to be completed before being presented to the Policy and Resources Committee in September. It would then move to the Court of Common Council for consideration in October.

If members approve the proposed Act, the Corporation intends to bring forward a separate report during the following decision-making cycle. Only after that stage would councillors be able to formally consider whether Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor should lose the Freedom of the City of London.

The Corporation said it believes establishing its own legal process is the quickest and most appropriate solution instead of seeking new legislation through Parliament.

'The fastest and most appropriate approach is to put in place a lawful process that allows the City Corporation to make these decisions itself, rather than seeking legislation through Parliament,' a spokesperson said.

They added that the work remains in progress and that any decision on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's status will depend on whether elected members first approve the proposed mechanism.

At this stage, no decision has been taken on revoking the honour itself. The City of London Corporation is still developing the legal process that would allow such a decision to be made, meaning the outcome remains subject to future votes by its elected members.