After the scandal surrounding his association with Jeffrey Epstein, several institutions, organisations and groups have begun to distance themselves from the Duke of York. Now, a Canadian school has chosen to change its name to avoid association with Prince Andrew.
According to the Canadian press, a school in the province of Nova Scotia has changed its name. Prince Andrew High School’s Principal Craig Campbell has stated that they will change the name to another that “maintains our values as a safe and inclusive” place. A new name will be chosen ahead of the new school year in September.
In the statement, the school said: “The name of a school should reflect the community of our school. Our hope is to continue to build our identity as a positive, supportive and respectful community, with a name that matches.”
The school opened in time for the 1960-61 school year. The school was named after the Prince in 1960 when Her Majesty gave birth to Andrew.
A debate over the name of the school has been going on for over ten years. In 2011, the name raised concern with some when Andrew’s association with Jeffrey Epstein was revealed. By 2019, school officials had formed committees to debate a possible name change after Andrew formally stepped back from royal duties amid the scandal due to his association with Epstein.
The Canadian school changing its name comes after The Queen revoked all of Prince Andrew’s royal patronages and military titles earlier this month.
