Andrew asked to relinquish City of London Freedom

Councillors in the City of London have agreed to ask Andrew Mountbatten‑Windsor to voluntarily relinquish his inherited Freedom of the City of London, an honorary status he received in 2012.

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The honour was granted “by virtue of patrimony”, because his father, Prince Philip, was already a Freeman of the city. Under the rules governing the historic title, such inherited freedoms cannot be formally revoked by the authorities.

A spokesperson for the City of London Corporation said elected members had agreed to write to Mountbatten-Windsor asking him to give up the status voluntarily.

“Elected members have today agreed to write to Mr Mountbatten-Windsor, inviting him to formally relinquish the Freedom,” the spokesperson said. The corporation added it would review any response at a future meeting and then decide whether further action might be taken.

Historic honour with limited modern powers

The Freedom of the City of London is one of the capital’s oldest civic traditions, with origins believed to date back to 1237. Historically, the title allowed recipients to conduct trade within the city and granted privileges such as the symbolic right to drive sheep across London Bridge without paying a toll.

Today, the honour is largely ceremonial and is typically awarded to individuals nominated by councillors for contributions to public life. Among recent recipients are actor Cate Blanchett and comedian Lenny Henry.

Mountbatten-Windsor’s siblings, including King Charles III, also hold the Freedom of the City of London.

According to the corporation, applications granted through patrimony are not considered or endorsed by elected members, and there is currently “no effective legal mechanism” to remove such honours once they have been inherited.

Scrutiny following controversies

The request follows a series of developments that have intensified scrutiny of Mountbatten-Windsor in recent years. The former prince lost his royal titles, styles and military honours after further details emerged about his past association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Mountbatten-Windsor has denied wrongdoing.

In February he was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office after correspondence linked to the so-called Epstein files suggested he may have shared sensitive trade information. He was released after 11 hours in custody and remains under investigation.

Mountbatten-Windsor has largely withdrawn from public life and has not commented publicly on the City of London’s request.

Previous removals of civic honours

The move comes after another civic honour connected to Mountbatten-Windsor was withdrawn. In March, councillors in York voted unanimously to remove the Freedom of the City of York from Sarah Ferguson, citing her links to Epstein.

Both Ferguson and Mountbatten-Windsor had originally been granted York’s honour in 1987 as a wedding gift during an official visit. York councillors had already voted in 2022 to strip Mountbatten-Windsor of the title, making him the first person to have that honour removed.

Despite his loss of royal roles, Mountbatten-Windsor remains eighth in line to the British throne. Any formal removal from the line of succession would require legislation passed by the UK Parliament and the agreement of the 15 Commonwealth realms where the monarch is head of state. Canada, Australia and New Zealand have indicated support for such a move.

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Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 17 April 2026