Mr Andrew Mountbatten Windsor (now Mountbatten-Windsor)

Updated post 15 November 2025

On Thursday 30 October 2025, a statement was issued from Buckingham Palace -  

'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.'

 

 

Whilst the statement does not set out details of the 'formal process' it is obviously based on the premise that HM The King is legally entitled to remove Andrew's titles.

 

In the light of various Parliamentary publications, it is questionable whether that premise is entirely accurate in relation to peerages.

 

The reference to 'style, titles and honours' seems designed to address the fact that Andrew has, since birth, been a Prince and referred to as His Royal Highness. It also embraces his peerages including the Dukedom of York as well as honours such as various knighthoods.  

Parliamentary Publications referring to Removal of titles and honours

The House of Commons library published a Research Briefing entitled The removal of titles and honours (20 October 2025). A similar document was published by the House of Lords library -Peerages: Can they be removed? 

The House of Commons briefing stated

 

 The House of Lords briefing states -  

Interestingly, the library publications were re-issued in early November 2025.

Re-issued Parliamentary Publications

House of Commons library 3 November 2025 - The removal of titles and honours

House of Lords library 13 November 2025 - Peerages: Can they be removed?

The House of Commons publication states

 

The House of Lords publication states

 

It is worth noting what the government did say in November 2025. Hansard records that, on 4 November,  the Minister for the Cabinet Office informed the House of Commons - 

No legislation has been enacted to remove peerages from Andrew. 

*** The Roll of the Peerage ***

On 1 June 2004 a Royal Warrant required the creation and maintenance of a new Roll of the Peerage.  Responsibility for this rests with the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice (currently David Lammy MP) and is maintained at the  Crown Office (PDF).

The 2004 Royal Warrant (pdf) is published on the website of the College of Arms - the official heraldic authority for England, Wales, Northern Ireland and much of the Commonwealth including Australia and New Zealand. The history of the College is set out HERE. 

Individuals who claim to be a peer may apply to be entered on the roll (paragraph 5) and an individual may apply to have his name removed (paragraph 6). The Royal Warrant does not mention any other form of removal from the roll. 

Dukes are listed on the Roll of the Peerage including the Royal dukedoms. 

Paragraph 3 of the Royal Warrant states - 

 

It is therefore possible for an individual to hold a peerage but, unless the peer is entered on the roll, there is no entitlement to any precedence and the individual may not be referred to by any title attaching to the peerage.

On 31 October, the Roll of the Peerage no longer referred to the Duke of York - see The Roll of the Peerage 31 October 2025 (185 pages pdf)

*** Titles Deprivation Act 1917 ***

The Titles Deprivation Act 1917 section 1 provided for the creation of a committee of the Privy Council empowered to 'enquire into and report the names of any persons enjoying any dignity or title as a peer or British prince who have, during the present war, borne arms against His Majesty or His Allies, or who have adhered to His Majesty’s enemies.'

Section 1 went on to provided for any reports to 'be laid upon the table of both Houses of Parliament for the space of forty days.' Either House could, within 40 days, disapprove a report. If there was no disapproval, the report was to be taken as final and presented to His Majesty.

Section 1(4) then applied -

The report would be "presented" to His Majesty at a meeting of the Privy Council.  The Act does not amplify the meaning of either "presented" or "presentation". Did it require the Privy Council merely to receive the report or did it require the Privy Council to issue an Order to implement the report?

The process actually adopted was to issue an Order.  On 28 March 1919, an Order in Council noted the report of a committee and ended by stating - 

'His Majesty, having taken into consideration the said Report, was pleased, by and with the advice of His Privy Council, to accept the same.

Whereof Garter King of Arms, Ulster King of Arms, and all other persons whom it may concern are to take notice and govern themselves accordingly.'

A tentative view is therefore that the Privy Council meeting did not have to accept the report but, on this occasion, it did so. 

BUT there was a statutory process, an opportunity (40 days) for parliament to reject a report. It would have been very strange if a report could survive that process and then be rejected by the Privy Council. Yet, that possibility is what the 28 March 1919 Order appears to suggest.  

The 1917 Act is now of historical interest only. I submit that it cannot have any present-day application because it plainly applied 'during the present war' - that is, World War 1. The 1917 legislation was plainly considered to be necessary to provide a process to deprive Enemy Peers and Princes of British Dignities and Titles. The Act did not create a general power to remove any peerage. 

See Heraldica - Deprivation 

Succession to the Throne

Alteration of the line of succession to the throne so as to remove an individual would require legislation and under a convention enshrined in the preamble to the Statute of Westminster 193, this would require the consent of every other Commonwealth Realm (independent states where the King is also head of state). The government does not plan to seek legislation to do this.

No legislation has been enacted relating to Andrew. 

Conclusion

Andrew's peerages were created by the late Queen Elizabeth using Royal Prerogative powers. According to the November 2025 research briefings, such peerages can only be removed under the authority of an Act of Parliament. 

The 1917 Act created a process to be followed to remove peerages from certain individuals but the process applied only for the duration of World War 1. 

Whilst the 2004 Royal Warrant is silent on the point it seems possible, under Royal Prerogative power relating to titles and honours, for an order to be made by the King to remove a name from the roll. Removal of a name from the Roll prevents use of the title attaching to a peerage but, for what it is worth to the individual, the actual peerage probably remains. 

The practical result is that, for all practical purposes, his peerages have been removed.

The need to take the matter to Parliament has been avoided. That route might well have absorbed considerable parliamentary time. There was also the risk that the debate could have widened to other areas such as the Royal finances or even the existence of the monarchy.

The future? 

No modern government has had the will to introduce legislation to enable removal of peerages. 

Although Parliament is legislating to remove hereditary peers from the House of Lords, this will only affect their entitlement to sit in Parliament. It will not affect their peerages.

Rachael Maskell, the independent MP for York Central, introduced a private members' bill called the Removal of Titles Bill in June 2022. This proposed a general power for the King to “remove any title” either “on his own initiative” or following a recommendation made by a joint committee of Parliament. This bill did not progress beyond its first reading but the same Member presented a new version in the House of Commons on 22 October 2025. The Bill may be seen HERE. 

Media

Independent 31 October 2025 

The Guardian 31 October 2025 offers a brutal analysis - Stupidity and royal self-entitlement sank Andrew, and it may not be over yet

Other material

House of Commons Library - The removal of titles and honours (20 October 2025).

House of Lords Library - Peerages: Can they be removed? 

College of Arms - The Roll of the Peerage 1 October 2013 - Duke of York included.

The Roll of the Peerage 31 October 2025 (185 pages pdf) - Duke of York removed 

See College of Arms - Peers Roll Contents

Privy Council 

History and Policy - Deprivation of Honours - A brief history

House of Lords - 2015 - The Honours System

Addition 5 November 2025

 

 Addition 15 November 2025

Andrew's surname to be Mountbatten-Windsor - Gazette News. The hyphen brings the name in line with the 1960 wishes of HM Queen Elizabeth II that her descendants have the hyphenated name.