Bill drafted to strip Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's final title

A bill is being drafted to strip Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor of his last remaining title. The former prince and Duke of York, who is the brother of King Charles III, was stripped of every royal title and civilian honour he held <a href="https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/02/21/how-did-the-queens-favourite-son-end-up-in-the-back-of-a-cop-car/" target="_blank">after being arrested in February</a>. He held one remaining honour, the <a href="https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/04/17/andrew-mountbatten-windsor-asked-to-give-up-one-of-last-formal-honours/">Freedom of the City of London</a>, which the ceremonial county's governing body said could not be revoked. Mountbatten-Windsor had been invited by councillors to relinquish the title himself. According to the BBC, the City of London Corporation now says it's drafting a bill to strip Mountbatten-Windsor of the title as there was "no effective lawful mechanism to do so". "We understand why people want this matter resolved as quickly as possible, and we share that desire," a spokesperson said. Mountbatten-Windsor was given the honour through his father, Prince Phillip, who also held it. Earlier this year, he was taken into custody on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The investigation was prompted by the release of millions of documents related to <a href="https://www.1news.co.nz/2025/12/19/house-democrats-release-more-photos-from-epsteins-estate/" target="_blank">convicted paedophile and alleged sex trafficker Jefferey Epstein</a>, who was found dead in his prison cell in 2019. Mountbatten-Windsor shared a close relationship with Epstein, and the documents suggested he had shared confidential information while serving as a trade envoy for the United Kingdom. The former prince was accused of sexual abuse by one of Epstein's victims, Virginia Guiffre, when she was a teenager. He has consistently denied all wrongdoing and <a href="https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/06/24/aus-police-to-review-interactions-with-epstein-accuser-before-her-death/" target="_blank">Guiffre died by suicide</a> in April last year. Mountbatten-Windsor's friendship with Epstein has been heavily scrutinised for years, admitting in a now-infamous interview he had visited the financier after he was convicted of sex crimes. As well as losing all his titles, Mountbatten-Windsor was evicted from the Royal Lodge and now lives in a house on the King's Sandringham Estate. His ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, who has also <a href="https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/03/27/sarah-ferguson-stripped-of-freedom-of-york-honour/">faced hostilities for her relationship with Epstein</a>, was also evicted and has had several titles stripped. Their daughters, <a href="https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/03/31/beatrice-and-eugenie-wont-attend-royal-family-easter-service/" target="_blank">Beatrice and Eugenie</a>, remain princesses.