Prince Andrew suffers fresh blow as York residents demand duke be stripped of his royal title

Prince Andrew has suffered a fresh blow as the residents of York in England have called for him to be stripped of his Duke of York title.
The disgraced royal, 65, received the honorary royal title in 1986 as a gift from his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, ahead of his wedding to Sarah Ferguson.
Andrew became the eighth royal to hold the prestigious title, which was created in 1385 and typically reserved for the second sons of British monarchs.
But the scandal-scarred prince’s series of controversies — including his close association with late convicted pedophile and financier Jeffrey Epstein and his sexual abuse lawsuit filed by Virginia Giuffre — had thrust Andrew’s royal status into the spotlight.
As a result, the late queen stripped her son of his military titles and royal patronages, as well as his HRH title. He was also forced to give up his role as a working royal.
Now, more than 70% of York residents believe that Andrew should be stripped of his Duke of York title, a GB News investigation has found.
The data, which was gathered from people in the streets of York, also revealed that only 8% of adults believed Andrew should keep the historic royal title, while the other 21% said they had no view.
Still, Buckingham Palace had previously confirmed that there are no plans to strip Andrew of his Duke of York title.
“We shouldn’t be celebrating him in York in any shape or form,” one resident told the outlet.
Another said, “His reputation taints the city, of course it does,” while a third added: “I think he’s an absolute disgrace. He taints the royal family.”
Politicians have since weighed in on the issue, with one Labour Party MP telling the outlet that the prince is undeserving of the title.
“I do believe that the removal of the title of Duke would be an appropriate step,” Rachael Maskell, MP for York Central, told GB News.
“York is a city of international standing with strong ethical values, and therefore the continuity of this title brings reputational disregard to the values of our city so its association should be discontinued.”
“Having looked into this matter, this would require a change in the law. As we saw, the late Queen did not hold powers to remove the title, when she removed the other titles and appointments he had,” Maskell added.
Elsewhere, Luke Charters, Labour MP for York Outer, told the outlet that residents should be taken into consideration on the matter.
“It’s a matter for the royal family as to whether Prince Andrew should give up the title,” he said. “I hope the royal family consider the feelings of York residents on this issue.”
Shortly after being stripped of his HRH titles and military honors in Jan. 2022, Andrew’s Freedom of the City of York honor was also taken away following a historic vote by councilors.
And in February, a high school named after him has announced that it will be changing its name to distance itself from the disgraced duke’s controversies.
Prince Andrew School, the only high school located in St Helena, a British Overseas Territory in the south Atlantic Ocean, said it’s keen to be free from Andrew’s “controversial ties.”