THE Queen won’t strip Prince Andrew of any more titles, it’s been reported today.
Sources claim Her Majesty will not be bowing to growing pressure to remove her “favourite son’s” dukedom.
An Act of Parliament is needed for the title – Andrew’s last major honorary position – to be taken away. It means the decision would have to be led by parliament, with a statute passed by both the House of Commons and the Lords.
Royal sources told the Mirror the Queen “certainly will not” force her son to give it up – and “believes the matter to be settled”.
There has been pressure for the prince to be forced further from the royal frontline since his £12million out-of-court settlement with sex abuse accuser Virginia Giuffre in February.
Ms Giuffre alleged the royal of sexually assaulting her when she was 17 in 2001. She claimed she was trafficked by paedophile Jeffrey Epstein to have sex with the prince.
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Andrew vehemently denies any wrongdoing, and his signed settlement with Ms Giuffre contained no admission of liability. It’s understood the Queen paid a reported £2m towards the total.
A source said: “The Queen certainly will not take any further action in that regard (of removing his titles).
“The Duke of York has stepped back from public life and already had a range of titles and associations removed and Her Majesty’s position has not deviated from that.”
It comes just a day after the city of York decided to remove Andrew’s Honorary Freeman title.
The underfire royal was given the freedom of the city of York in a lavish ceremony in 1987, shortly after his marriage to Sarah Ferguson.
On Wednesday, York City Council voted to remove the status in an extraordinary full council meeting.
Councillors took just 40 minutes to reach the decision.
One speaker described the Duke as an “utter disgrace who brings shame wherever he goes”, adding: “He needs to be declared persona non grata in York”.
York town hall chief Darryl Smalley said: “The next logical step is now for Prince Andrew to do the right thing and relinquish his Duke of York title.
RIGHT ROYAL ROW
“If he fails to do so, the Government and Buckingham Palace must step in to remove his title to finally end Prince Andrew’s connection to York.”
Andrew is the first VIP to be stripped of his freemanship since Jimmy Savile posthumously had his freedom of Scarborough removed in 2011.
The decision was reached after revelations about Savile’s sickening crimes came to light following his death.
Andrew has refused to leave his £1m a year Royal Lodge despite being essentially banished from the family earlier this year.
Despite speculation he would move due to being unable to finance the house without support, a royal source has said it is now “very unlikely” he will leave the Windsor mansion.
DUKE OF HAZARD
It had been thought that last night’s fresh humiliation could be the next step in the Palace facing calls for Andrew to give up his dukedom and remove all remaining connections to the city.
But the latest claims suggest he will hang onto his remaining honours.
Andrew sparked controversy last month when he walked the Queen into Prince Philip’s memorial service in a huge show of support.
He is also earmarked to accompany his mother to the Derby on Platinum Jubilee weekend.
A source said: “He was meant to stay invisible during the Platinum Jubilee so there is no way he will be at events like Trooping the Colour.
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“But the Queen needs a chaperone on all occasions at the moment due to her mobility issues and Andrew has earmarked the Derby as the one he will accompany her at.
“He just doesn’t seem to understand the public outcry.”
