York Central MP tables bill to allow King to strip Prince Andrew of titles
The Prime Minister said there should be “proper scrutiny” of Prince Andrew’s rent-free mansion in response to calls for a parliamentary inquiry.
Sir Keir Starmer was asked to back the establishment of a committee which could call Andrew to give evidence to Parliament.
At Prime Minister’s Questions yesterday, Sir Ed Davey asked whether “given the revelations about Royal Lodge” Sir Keir believed that MPs should “properly scrutinise the Crown Estate to ensure taxpayers’ interests are protected”.
Sir Ed said: “Will the Prime Minister support a select committee inquiry, so all those involved can be called for evidence, including the current occupant?”
Sir Keir said: “It’s important in relation to all Crown properties that there is proper scrutiny, and I certainly support that.”
Andrew has lived in Royal Lodge in Windsor on a peppercorn rent since 2003, although he paid £1m for the lease and a further £7.5m for refurbishments.
Revelations in a memoir of Andrew’s sex accuser Virginia Giuffre have put the King’s brother under fresh scrutiny over his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.
A law which would allow Charles to formally strip Andrew of his dukedom was introduced in the Commons by York Central MP Rachael Maskell yesterday.
The prince announced last week he would stop using his Duke of York title to avoid distracting from the work of the royal family, but an Act of Parliament would be required to formally remove the dukedom.
The proposed new law would give the monarch the power to remove titles on his own initiative, following a recommendation of a joint committee of Parliament, or at the request of the person who holds the title.
Ms Maskell said: “It is time for Parliament to act so that it can, or the monarch can, remove titles. The Duke of York title may no longer be being used by its holder, but it has not been removed.
“My short Bill, The Removal of Titles Bill, will fix this; I hope it can now be supported by Parliament.”