What titles has King Charles removed from Andrew?
Charles has taken away each title from his brother, as well as his ‘His Royal Highness’ and Princely style (sometimes called a dignity).
Andrew previously held the titles of Duke of York, Earl of Inverness, and Baron Killyleagh, as well as significant honours like being a Knight of the Order of the Garter.
Andrew Mountbatten Windsor – no hyphen according to the palace – is now no longer entitled to any place in the orders of precedence that were derived from these titles. It means every member of his family with a title – be that an Earl, Lord, or a Knight – would be positioned ahead of him.
How are Andrew’s titles being removed? Can The King do that?
The King stripped his brother’s titles using Letters Patent, issued under the royal prerogative i.e. the established powers of the Sovereign under the system of Constitutional Monarchy.
As Andrew’s titles were given by Letters Patent when he got married, and the Letters Patent of 1917 establish that the children of the Sovereign are entitled to a Prince or Princess; this means that Charles is able to remove them in the same manner.
The Houses of Commons Library claims that to revoke a Princely title ‘would likely require ministerial advice’ but can be done under royal prerogative. The government’s response to the initial announcement was supportive, though did not suggest any cooperation at this point; media reports suggest that The King has since consulted Cabinet ahead of issuing the Letters Patent.
The former Duke of York has also now been removed from the Roll of Peerage, too, which documents each peer in the UK. The Gazette documents this taking place on 30 October ‘with immediate effect’, which will have involved the Lord Chancellor (and Foreign Secretary) David Lammy.
What are Letters Patent?
Letters Patent (which is both singular and plural) are legal instruments that convey the desire or the will of the Monarch.
These published written orders usually grant an office or title to a person, or sometimes a monopoly to a corporation, and are awarded under the royal prerogative i.e. the powers of the Monarch.
What about Andrew’s place in the line of succession?
This has never been mentioned as part of the removal of his titles and remains in tact.
Legislation would be required for this, however, and ‘under a convention enshrined in the preamble to the Statute of Westminster 1931’. each Commonwealth Realm would also have to agree to it.
Andrew Mountbatten Windsor remains eighth in the line of succession.
