A UK city announced it formally censured Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor after he failed to respond to a letter asking him to give up a major honour. The City of London Corporation is the unique local authority that governs the The Square Mile, a tiny city within London, and the ancient financial heart of the capital.
Last month, senior officers from the organisation sent the former prince a letter asking him to voluntarily relinquish his Freedom of the City of London, which he inherited through patrimony from his father Prince Philip, over the fallout from his friendship with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. As Andrew was given the honour through a legal right, the corporation sought to get him to agree to give it up himself.
“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,” the local authority explained.
“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, it added at the time.
“They will consider the response received, if any, at a future meeting and determine what action may be taken.”
But on Thursday, May 21, the corporation revealed The Court of Common Council, its highest decision-making body, has since passed a motion of censure and instructed officers to pursue steps to lawfully remove the honour after saying Andrew failed to respond.
It recorded the following key points:
That it considers Andrew’s association with the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein to be wholly unacceptable and inconsistent with the status and obligations of a Freeman of the City of London.To instruct Officers to commence such proceedings as are necessary to enable this Court to lawfully remove the Freedom of the City from Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.Its profound disappointment that Andrew has not surrendered his Freedom despite being asked to do so.Its solidarity and support for Epstein’s victims and survivors and all victims of sexual abuse and exploitation.
Andrew was arrested in February – on his 66th birthday – on suspicion of misconduct in public office following allegations he shared sensitive information with Epstein during his time as the UK’s trade envoy. He was interviewed under caution before being released under investigation.
He was stripped by his older brother King Charles of both his right to be a prince and his dukedom late last year over his association with Epstein, who died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking.
Andrew, who still remains eighth in line to the royal throne, has always vehemently denied any wrongdoing.