Corporation seeks route to revoke Freedom amid ongoing controversies
The City of London Corporation has signalled it is preparing a legal process that could allow it to remove the Freedom of the City from Andrew Mountbatten‑Windsor — a move that would mark a departure from its previous position that such a removal was not possible.
Members of the Court of Common Council voted in May to instruct officers to investigate how the Freedom might be revoked after months of pressure for a review. At a recent meeting, officials revealed that two senior legal officers had produced a draft opinion setting out a route for action.
“The provisional gist of the opinion is that the current process of disenfranchisement, or removing the honour, is defective and defunct.”
The comment was attributed to Deputy Chris Hayward, the Policy Chair of the Corporation, who told councillors the City’s Comptroller and City Solicitor and City Remembrancer had produced the draft legal advice. He said the Court itself could, if it wished, pass an Act of Common Council to confer the power of disenfranchisement on itself. Other options, he added, were also under consideration.
Deputy Marianne Fredericks had asked for an update on action taken since the May instruction. The development follows earlier statements from the Corporation that it had no mechanism to strip a Freedom granted by patrimony.
- Grant of Freedom: Andrew Mountbatten‑Windsor received the Freedom in 2012 by patrimony because his father, Prince Philip, was a Freeman.
- May instruction: Corporation members instructed officers to examine how the honour could be removed.
- Draft opinion: Legal advice concludes the existing disenfranchisement process is defective and proposes the Court could legislate to take the power to remove the Freedom.
Background of the controversy
The review has taken place against a backdrop of reputational damage to the former prince. The King stripped his brother of royal titles, styles and honours after revelations about his relationship with the convicted paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein, and further reports prompted calls for institutions to re‑examine honours held by Andrew Mountbatten‑Windsor.
In February, Andrew Mountbatten‑Windsor was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office over allegations that he shared sensitive information with Jeffrey Epstein while serving as the UK’s trade envoy. He was in custody for around 11 hours before being released under investigation. He has consistently denied wrongdoing.
The City Corporation’s earlier public stance, as reported, was that it could not remove a Freedom granted by patrimony. A spokesman had said: “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.”
Options ahead for City authorities
Deputy Hayward’s account suggests the Corporation is now prepared to examine more intrusive options to address what it sees as a legal lacuna. The draft opinion’s characterisation of the current process as “defective and defunct” places the burden on the Court to decide whether to create a bespoke mechanism — by way of an Act of Common Council — to enable disenfranchisement.
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 2012 | Andrew Mountbatten‑Windsor granted Freedom of the City by patrimony |
| May 2026 | Court of Common Council instructs officers to investigate removal |
| Feb 2026 | Arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office; released under investigation after 11 hours |
| July 2026 | Deputy Hayward reports draft legal opinion and possible legislative route |
For Windsor residents, where the monarchy forms part of the town’s identity and daily life, the saga is likely to be followed with keen interest. Any change to honours connected to the royal family feeds into wider debates about accountability, institutional reputation and the limits of historical entitlements.
The Court of Common Council will now consider the legal advice and decide whether to pursue the narrow route of an Act to confer disenfranchisement powers on itself or to explore alternative mechanisms. Until the Court takes a formal step, the Freedom remains on the record as granted by patrimony in 2012.
