King Charles III’s decision to remove the honours and titles of his brother means that the eighth in line to the throne is now known, simply, as Mr Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
It is a fall from royal grace of an unprecedented degree and the name that Andrew now carries is a long way removed from the titles he has held through the years, among them some of the most famous and historic of all royal styles.
He was born HRH The Prince Andrew Albert Christian Edward of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. At the time, he was second in line to the throne.
In 1986, he was made Duke of York by Queen Elizabeth II. The title came to him on his wedding day.
The Dukedom of York is one of the oldest associated with the Royal Family and it has traditionally been given to the second son of the reigning Monarch since the 15th century.
It was first created in 1385 for Edmund, the fifth son of King Edward III, and his son, Edward, inherited the title in 1402. He died at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415 and as he had no son, the dukedom went to his nephew. He became Richard, Duke of York and would attempt to claim the throne of England, leading to the War of the Roses. He died at the Battle of Wakefield in 1460 and was succeeded by his son Edward, who claimed the crown the following year. In 1474, he made his second son, Richard, Duke of York and since then it has been the title given to the Monarch’s second son.
The title was very important to Queen Elizabeth II and her decision to create it again for Andrew was seen as a sign of her deep affection for her second son as well as a moment of continuity of royal history. Elizabeth II’s own father, George VI, had been the second son of George V and had been Duke of York until his unexpected accession as king in December 1936.
Now, the title in its current creation will be struck from the Roll as King Charles sends Royal Warrants to the Lord Chancellor requesting its removal. Andrew’s other titles, Earl of Inverness and Baron Killyleagh, will also be struck off.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor will also be removed from the Order of the Garter and the Royal Victorian Order. His HRH and Prince will also be removed.
Instead, he is left with the surname created in 1960 for the non royal descendants of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. It is an unprecedented moment in modern royal history.
