The 1 Unlucky Royal Set to Get Prince Andrew’s Duke of York Title Next and 6 Royals Set to Lose Their Titles
Prince Andrew’s announcement that he will no longer use his Duke of York title is reportedly going to have an effect on several other royals.
On Oct. 17, amid family pressure and contuning calls to do so from the public, the disgraced prince decided to relinquish his remaining titles and honors. The royal family’s website was later updated to reflect the change. It previously named him “Duke of York,” but now he’s simply referred to as “Prince Andrew.”
Queen Elizabeth II gave her second-oldest son the title the day he married Sarah Ferguson in 1985. It was a title very dear to the queen as her own father held the title before he became king. Now, with the Duke of York title inactive many have wondered who it will go to next.
As Express noted, “The Dukedom of York has traditionally been granted to the second son of the monarch. Therefore, if Prince William ascends the throne and the title is vacant, then Prince Louis could be granted it when he comes of age or if he chooses to marry.”
It’s also being reported that Prince Andrew’s decison is going to have a ripple effect on six other royals who are now in line to lose the titles attached to their names.
When they were born Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie were known as “Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice/Eugenie of York.” The women both dropped “York” when they got married but considering that they are not working royals, their royal titles and HRH status are now in serious jeopardy. Joining them in having their titles taken away in the future are the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their two children. These changes will be “implemented by an executive royal order known as ‘letters patent’ accepted by Parliament.”
It’s currently impossible for anyone to just strip their titles, so the Prince of Wales is planning the executive royal order (aka letters patent) early in his reign that will undo that. The Daily Beast spoke to multiple sources who say Prince William will “remove princely titles from all non-working royals.” They’ll also be stripped of their honorific “HRH” titles.
Royal insider Tom Sykes told the outlet that William is expected make the change once he becomes king and will strip “all other non-working royals, of their HRHs and princely titles when he ascends to the throne, friends and allies of the prince have said. The dramatic change will be effected by an executive royal order known as ‘letters patent’ ratified by Parliament in the early weeks of the reign of King William V. It will remove princely titles from Beatrice, Eugenie, Harry, Archie, and Lilibet.”
Meghan and Harry agreed with the late Queen Elizabeth to stop using their HRH titles after their decison to step down from thier royal duties in 2020. When their children were born they did not have “Prince” or “Princess” in front of their names.
The couple’s son was born, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, and their daughter was born Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor. Following the queen’s death, they became Prince Archie of Sussex and Princess Lilibet of Sussex. But those Sussex titles have been a point of contention for years given Meghan and Harry’s estrangement from the royal family along with the fact that they are no longer working royals and their children will never be working royals.
