Royal Titles in Crisis: Could Prince Andrew’s Scandal Prompt a Whole New System for Naming Royals?

The British royal family is down a duke. 

Last week, Prince Andrew announced that he would no longer use his Duke of York title. The decision was due to the “continued accusations about me [that] distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family,” he said in a statement.

Could Prince Andrew’s demotion be a sign of future royal family changes? 

Andrew’s stunning move – which was likely made under pressure from his older brother, King Charles – marks the first time in more than a century that a British duke has relinquished his title. Andrew received the Duke of York title in 1986, when he married Sarah Ferguson. 

Now, some are wondering if Andrew’s demotion is a sign of more changes to come for the royal family. The King has already signaled his desire for a “slimmed down” monarchy with fewer working royals. His eldest son, Prince William, is also reportedly keen on that plan. While Andrew had already stepped away from his official duties in 2019 due to his ties to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Charles’ willingness to take away his brother’s title suggests that the monarch is not adverse to making even more drastic changes when he deems them necessary.  

So far, there’s no sign that other royals are set to lose their titles in the immediate future. But there have been rumblings that additional members of the family could suffer Andrew’s fate. Two obvious targets are Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The pair stopped using the “His/Her Royal Highness” honorifics after they stepped away from being working royals in 2020. But they still use the Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles. However, William might put a stop to that once he ascends the throne. Royal insiders told The Daily Beast that the future king wants to have Parliament formally rescind the letters patent that give Harry, Meghan, and their two children princely titles.

Andrew’s children, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, could also lose their titles. Andrew could also lose his prince title, which he was born with. He could also officially lose the Duke of York title, which can only be rescinded by an act of Parliament.

“It should have been done by Charles this week, but William knows he doesn’t have the strength because of his illness,” a friend of William’s said of the changes. “William is understanding of his father’s situation. William won’t be afraid to take the next step.”

Will Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis be working royals?

Even William’s own children might end up title-less as adults. While his eldest child Prince George is second in line to the throne and can expect to one day be king, the future of his younger siblings, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, is less certain. They could become working royals. But William and his wife, Princess Catherine, are reportedly open to letting their younger children make a choice as adults about whether they want to be “full-time working royals or lead lives as private citizens,” an insider told The Daily Beast. 

The issue of royal titles and who receives them is complicated and has changed several times in the past 100 years. Some titles – like Andrew’s Duke of York title – are granted by the monarch. Others are conferred automatically. For example, Harry and Meghan’s children became Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet when their grandfather became king. Other royals have rejected titles. Princess Anne famously declined to have her children, Peter and Zara, styled has prince or princess. 

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