After his ties with the late s– offender Jeffrey Epstein came to light, former Prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor dramatically fell from grace. He was arrested in February 2026 on suspicion of misconduct in public office and accused of sharing government information with Epstein.
While the former Prince denied these allegations, he was kept in custody for almost 12 hours for questioning and then let go under investigation. Given this shocking turn of events, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was stripped of most of his honors and titles by King Charles III.
However, despite the scandal the former Prince will retain the Freedom of the City of London honor. It was determined by the City of London Corporation, which Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor received through “patrimony” as his father, Prince Philip, was a Freeman. Since it constitutes a legal right, the honor cannot be rescinded, The Independent reported.
How long do you think it will take for Andrew Mountbatten Windsor aka Ex Prince Andrew to start ratting everyone out that had anything to do with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell to save himself from Prison! pic.twitter.com/a4adgs9BLl
— Suzie rizzio (@Suzierizzo1) March 5, 2026
Explaining the same, a City of London Corporation spokesperson said, “Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor received the Freedom of the City of London in 2012 by virtue of patrimony, which is inherited as the child of a Freeman and constitutes a legal right.”
“Applications via patrimony are not considered by our elected Members. We have carefully considered whether it is possible to remove a Freedom granted by patrimony and understand that we are not able to do so,” they added.
The ancient honor is largely ceremonial and is generally awarded for one’s contributions to London or public life. According to Laura Miller, Clerk to the Court of the Chamberlain, Freedom of the City of London honor “gave you the right to own things, to make money, to exist effectively in the City of London.”
She further added, “It’s quite business-like, it’s quite sensible. Your freedom is a legal document – it’s actually underwritten by Magna Carta.” While Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor will be retaining this honor strictly because of legal reasons, his association with Epstein marks a chapter of crisis in the reign of Charles III.
The King responded rather promptly following the allegations by stripping the former Prince Andrew of his titles and honors. However, it is important to note here that the Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor situation is more of an individual crisis than one that involves the whole monarchy.
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As Royal Historian Justin Vovk pointed out, “In many ways, this crisis for the Royal Family moving forward is more of a personal one than a constitutional or institutional one. The removal of Andrew’s titles, rank and privileges last year effectively established a firewall between Andrew and the monarchy as an institution.”
Vovk further added, “This is a crisis that the family, and not the institution, will have to navigate for themselves.” As the investigation continues to go on, King Charles has offered his full support to the same, showing how the Royal family as an institution has no desire to stand by the side of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and would rather ensure that the monarchy’s name remains clear.
While the former Prince Andrew has consistently denied the allegations against him regarding Epstein, it now remains to be seen if the ongoing investigation offers more information regarding their ties.
