Authorities are moving closer to removing Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's Freedom of the City of London after months of legal review, following his apparent refusal to voluntarily relinquish the historic honour.
Earlier this year, officials acknowledged they were unable to revoke the honour because the existing legal process was considered "defective and defunct." However, fresh efforts are now underway to introduce legislation that would establish a lawful mechanism for its removal.
According to GB News, legal officials are drafting a bill that would allow the City of London Corporation to formally revoke the Freedom of the City honour when appropriate.
The Corporation has confirmed that no effective legal process currently exists for removing the honour and is now working to address that gap through legislative reform.
"We understand why people want this matter resolved as quickly as possible, and we share that desire," a spokesperson for the City of London Corporation said.
If the proposed legislation is approved, elected members of the Corporation would be able to vote on whether Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor should be stripped of the Freedom of the City of London.
Andrew received the honour in 2012 by virtue of patrimony, as his father, Prince Philip, had previously held the status of Freeman.
The Corporation has been working on the issue for several months. In April, officials revealed they had written to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, inviting him to voluntarily surrender the honour. According to the Corporation, no response was ever received.
The proposed legislation marks the latest step in the Corporation's efforts to establish a clear legal process for handling the removal of honorary freedoms in exceptional circumstances. If enacted, it would pave the way for a formal decision on whether Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor should retain one of the City's oldest civic distinctions.
