9 royals who could be stripped of their title next, like Prince Andrew

The Royal Family has made a significant and historic move, stripping Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor of his ‘Prince’ title. In a statement released by Buckingham Palace on 30 October, it was confirmed that Andrew would lose his titles and honours along with the lease on his Royal Lodge home. This comes in the wake of Virginia Giuffre’s posthumous Nobody’s Girl memoir, which has renewed speculation regarding Andrew and his alleged ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Following the decision to strip Andrew of his ‘Prince’ title – which was his birthright – many have been wondering if this opens a door for other high-profile royals to potentially lose theirs as well. From Prince Harry to Princess Beatrice, here’s a look at all the royals who could be stripped of their royal titles in the wake of the Andrew scandal, and a brief history lesson on the laws surrounding it…

How do you become a Prince or Princess?

Per the 1917 Letters Patent, the style of Royal Highness and the title Prince or Princess was restricted to the children of a monarch, the children of the sons of a monarch, and the eldest living son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales, according to the House of Commons Library. This rule was changed in 2012, however. A patent from 2012 extended the 1917 provisions to include all the children of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales.

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As for how one loses their title, that’s a bit trickier. “The title of Prince or Princess can be removed by statute or under the prerogative, although the latter would likely require ministerial advice,” the House of Commons Library explains. “The style of His or Her Royal Highness (HRH) is conferred by Letters Patent under the royal prerogative and can be removed by the same instrument.”

9 royals who might lose their title nextPrince Harry and Meghan Markle

Whether Prince Harry and Meghan Markle should retain their titles has been up for debate since they stepped down from royal duties in 2020. At the time, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced they would stop using their HRH styling, although the BBC reported in April 2025 that HRH was still being used by the Sussexes in a private capacity.

With so much chatter surrounding titles of late, there’s been speculation that Prince William intends to remove his brother’s title when he’s monarch, particularly in light of his appearance on The Reluctant Traveler documentary, during which he said that “change” was on his agenda. At the time, an insider told the National Enquirer that William will “immediately” remove the Sussexes’ titles when he takes the throne.

Until now, it’s been well-regarded that Prince Harry’s title is safe and secure, given that he is the son of the King. But, with Andrew’s title removal setting a precedent, the idea that Prince Harry could lose his is no longer outside the realm of possibility.

Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie

Although it has been confirmed that Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie will keep their titles despite their dad, Andrew, losing his, that doesn’t mean they’ll keep them forever. Prince William has been vocal about his plans to make the monarchy “fit for purpose”, with some experts taking this to mean trimming the firm down.

With that in mind, non-working royals like Beatrice and Eugenie could lose their titles – and that concept seems all the easier now that Andrew has lost his, too. “Prince William will strip Prince Andrew, along with all other non-working royals, of their HRHs and princely titles when he ascends the throne,” royal correspondent Tom Sykes said via The Daily Beast.

9 royals who could be stripped of their title next, like prince andrew

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What’s more, experts suggest that Prince William has already threatened to do this. Emily Maitlis (who conducted Prince Andrew’s infamous BBC interview) claimed earlier this month that the Prince of Wales used Beatrice and Eugenie’s titles as leverage to get Andrew out of Royal Lodge. Beyond that, there have been several signs that Prince William and Kate Middleton are “taking charge” of the Andrew scandal behind-the-scenes.

Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet

If Prince Harry and Meghan lose their titles, by extension, their children could too. Although, this would be difficult. As grandchildren of the monarch, Archie and Lilibet still have a birthright entitlement to use their Prince and Princess titles.

Speaking to The Daily Beast, an alleged friend of Prince William said that he isn’t “afraid to take the next step” when it comes to royal titles, adding that he “thinks about Queen Margrethe of Denmark a lot.” To recap, in 2022, the Danish Queen removed princely titles from four of her grandchildren, a decision she said would give them more freedom to shape their own lives. Could Prince William be drawing on the Danish Queen for inspiration, then?

Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis

Perhaps most surprisingly of all, there have been rumours to suggest that Prince William’s own children will have their titles “parked” as part of his plans to “change” the monarchy.

Per a source who spoke to The Daily Beast, the Wales children may have their titles informally paused until they are old enough to decide if they want to become full-time working royals or not. If they opt to lead lives as private citizens, they would be at risk of losing their HRH titles. That being said, their fancy titles aren’t entirely in use just yet anyway, as the insider added that the Wales children are never addressed with their titles by their parents, teachers, staff, or family members.

9 royals who could be stripped of their title next, like Prince Andrew

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