Most Britons support stripping Prince Andrew of remaining royal titles

By Victoria Ward

Two thirds of Britons believe the Duke of York should be stripped of his remaining royal titles, a poll has revealed.

A YouGov survey found that 67 per cent of the public would support the removal of his titles, with 13 per cent opposed to the idea and the rest unsure.

Those against such a move are more likely to be Conservative voters and those aged over 50.

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The latest YouGov royal favourability tracker found the Duke languishing at the bottom of the table, with 5 per cent reporting a positive view of the King's brother, a figure that has barely changed since his Newsnight interview of November 2019.

The polls, conducted last week, coincided with the release of explosive allegations concerning the Duke in a new biography by author Andrew Lownie, Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York.

The book provided an array of lurid headlines depicting the one-time Falklands war hero as a sex-obsessed womaniser who has long courted his position for his own gain.

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"It remains a mystery how Prince Andrew has been able to enjoy such an extravagant lifestyle," wrote Lownie, who described "a four-day holiday in Tunisia paid for by Tarek Kaituni, a convicted Libyan gun-smuggler", and the 2007 sale of his Sunninghill home in Berkshire for £3m over the £12m asking price to Timur Kulibayev, a billionaire oil and gas tycoon and son-in-law of the president of Kazakhstan.

He said the Duke had been "played" by Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender, to whom he was "a useful idiot who gave him respectability and access to political leaders and business opportunities".

As well as detailing lucrative business connections with an array of dubious characters, the book portrays the Duke as an arrogant and rude man who reduces his staff to tears.

The Duke was forced to withdraw from public life shortly after his Newsnight interview and was stripped of his military titles and charity affiliations by his late mother, Elizabeth II.

There has long been speculation that he could yet be stripped of his royal titles; his Dukedom and even that of Prince, although there currently appears to be little appetite at Buckingham Palace for such controversial moves.

A battle with the King over the Duke's occupancy of Royal Lodge in Windsor appears to have reached an impasse.

The monarch wanted his brother, who shares the vast property with his ex-wife, Sarah, Duchess of York, to move out. But the Duke dug in his heels, citing a longstanding lease agreement with the Crown Estate that has many years left to run and providing proof that he could afford the upkeep.

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Palace aides have long noted that although the Duke is exiled from public life, he remains a member of the Royal family. As such, he is a regular fixture at high-profile family gatherings, including Easter and Christmas church services. He has continued to attend the annual luncheon for members of the Order of the Garter – albeit behind closed doors.

But while the King, like his mother, has tolerated such moves, his son, the Prince of Wales, may not.

When the Prince becomes King, he is likely to take a more "hard-nosed" and "ruthless" approach to his Uncle Andrew, some commentators predict.

The King can, in certain circumstances, remove the Order of the Garter, which is given as the monarch's personal gift, while Parliament does have the power to remove the Dukedom via legislation.

While the Duke has stopped using the style His Royal Highness, it could be removed entirely via Letters Patent on the advice of ministers and signed by the King. One source told The Telegraph that such moves were unlikely at this point, but noted: "It is possible."

© Telegraph Media Group Limited 2025

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