Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor asked to renounce his Freedom of the City of London in fresh statement

Dorothy Reddin
Thu, 16 Apr 2026 16:38:16 +0000

Elected members of the City of London Corporation have written to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, inviting him to relinquish his Freedom of the City, a spokesman for the corporation has confirmed.

This is the highest honour the City of London can bestow, given to people of distinction for their lifetime achievements or high international standing.

The former Duke of York received his honour in 2012, but the corporation has no mechanism in place to remove it once it has been bestowed on a member.

Mr Mountbatten-Windsor is therefore being asked to renounce the honour voluntarily.

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A spokesman said: “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.

“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.

“They will consider the response received, if any, at a future meeting and determine what action may be taken.”

GB News has contacted Mr Mountbatten-Windsor for comment.

The King's younger brother received the Freedom in 2012 by "virtue of patrimony".

This is a legal right inherited as the child of a Freeman (Prince Philip), rather than an honorary title awarded by council vote.

The late Duke of Edinburgh was awarded his Freeman of the City of London in 1948.

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In March 2026, the City Corporation stated that because the title was obtained through lineage and not endorsed by elected members, there is no effective legal mechanism to rescind it.

On Thursday, elected members of the Corporation agreed to write to Mr Mountbatten-Windsor formally inviting him to relinquish the Freedom voluntarily.

Mr Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested in February 2026 on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

He remains under investigation and has consistently denied any wrongdoing.

King Charles III stripped Mr Mountbatten-Windsor of his royal styles and honours in 2025 following ongoing revelations regarding his association with Jeffrey Epstein.

The Freedom of the City is a largely ceremonial tradition dating back to 1237.

While it historically granted rights like trading in the "Square Mile," modern recipients are often associated with the symbolic right to drive sheep across London Bridge.