The Duke of York title, while still associated with the name Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor may still hold significant value for the former prince, an expert has claimed. Although Andrew has been formally removed from the official roll of the peerage in the House of Lords by royal authority, this technically might not be official.
Michael Rhodes, a leading authority on the peerage and editor of the online Peerage News said: “It’s quite clear that Andrew’s removal from the Roll was done to deceive and bamboozle the public into thinking that the King’s brother is no longer Baron Killyleagh, Earl of Inverness or Duke of York, when in fact he is and will be until his death – or until an Act of Parliament is brought before parliament.”
He argued: “The removal of a peerage cannot be achieved by royal authority alone.”
Mr Rhodes, also an advisor and contributor to the respected The Peerage online website, points out that not being on the Roll doesn’t mean that men and women have automatically lost their titles.
As reported in the Daily Mail, the expert goes on to say that Andrew could continue to use a coat of arms, though the one created for him on his elevation to the peerage when he married in 1986 would have to be significantly altered to take account of the loss of his royal princedom and his Garter knighthood.
Action was taken after the ongoing association between Andrew and the late convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein, hit headlines. The published posthumous book by the late Epstein victim, Virginia Giuffre, contained accounts detailing Andrew, but he has continuously denied all accusations made against him.
The full statement read: “His Majesty has today initiated a formal process to remove the Style, Titles and Honours of Prince Andrew.
“Prince Andrew will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. His lease on Royal Lodge has, to date, provided him with legal protection to continue in residence. Formal notice has now been served to surrender the lease and he will move to alternative private accommodation. These censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues
to deny the allegations against him.”
“Their Majesties wish to make clear that their thoughts and utmost sympathies have been, and will remain with, the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse.”
At the time, King Charles signed a royal warrant directing the Duke of York to be removed from the roll of the peerage with immediate effect, according to the House of Lords website. As a result, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is no longer legally recognised as a peer in official documents.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.express.co.uk ’
