Prince Andrew ends use of Duke of York title, explained

Prince Andrew says he will stop using the Duke of York title and other royal honours after talks with the King. The statement, released on 17 October 2025, framed the change as an effort to avoid distracting from the monarch’s work. He continues to deny wrongdoing. This piece unpacks what changes, what doesn’t, and how royal titles actually work in law.

First, the difference between use and removal. Andrew has said he will not use his dukedom or honours in public life, but the titles have not been legally revoked. In the UK, a peerage such as “Duke of York” can only be removed by an Act of Parliament; the Crown cannot cancel a peerage once created. That is why you’ll see “will not use” rather than “has been stripped”.

So what titles remain in practice? By birth he remains a prince. He will not use “Duke of York”, and the same goes for honours such as his Royal Victorian knighthood and the Order of the Garter. His former wife Sarah Ferguson is expected to stop using “Duchess of York”, while their daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, keep their titles.

If you’re wondering about public appearances, expect long gaps. Reporting this week suggests he will not be on show at the family’s Christmas at Sandringham and may only appear privately at church services, if at all. The Palace’s hope, according to several outlets, is to stop the stream of headlines overshadowing other royal work.

Let’s place this in context. Andrew stepped back from being a “working royal” in November 2019 after his BBC Newsnight interview. In January 2022, he returned his military affiliations and royal patronages and stopped using HRH in an official capacity. Working royals are those who carry out duties on behalf of the monarch and are publicly accountable for that work.

Why now? Two developments refreshed scrutiny. First, newly surfaced court documents and media reporting show he remained in contact with Jeffrey Epstein into early 2011, longer than he had previously suggested. Second, the posthumous memoir by Virginia Giuffre, who sued Andrew in 2021 before settling in 2022 without admission of liability, is being published this month.

What does stepping back from honours look like day to day? It means no wearing or using those honours at events, and no public role in exalted orders such as the Garter. You may remember he was kept out of the Garter Day procession in 2022 after family interventions; that signalled how sensitive public ceremonial has become.

Where he lives isn’t changing. Andrew resides at Royal Lodge in Windsor on a 75‑year Crown Estate lease signed in 2003. The arrangement, reported in official documents and contemporaneous coverage, runs until 2078 and has strict maintenance conditions. He has been under pressure to fund upkeep himself.

Could Parliament go further and remove the dukedom altogether? Legally, yes-but only through new primary legislation. MPs have discussed mechanisms, and a York MP has pressed for change alongside calls for transparency about the 2022 civil settlement. For now, the Palace has opted for “non‑use” rather than a legal strip.

We should also be alert to new reporting strands. UK media and regulators have highlighted emails that contradict earlier timelines of Andrew’s contact with Epstein, and separate stories have examined his links to a Chinese businessman later barred from the UK on national security grounds-links Andrew’s office says ceased once concerns were raised.

Media literacy tip for readers: headlines may say “lost his title” when the legal reality is “will not use the title”. That phrasing matters. It explains why you might still see historic references to “Duke of York” in archives or on some websites even as he stops using it in public. Always scan for the date and the source of any claim.

Quick guide to the jargon you’ll see. A title (like Duke of York) is a peerage; removing it needs Parliament. A style (like HRH) is a form of address and can be set aside by agreement. An honour (like the Order of the Garter or Royal Victorian Order) is a distinction that can be resigned or withheld from public use. This case involves stopping use of all three in public life, not erasing them in law.