Prince Andrew Urged to Do the 'Right Thing' and Leave the UK as MPs Move to Strip His Dukedom
If Prince Andrew was hoping for his troubles to end anytime soon, he’s out of luck — they’ve only reignited with renewed force. Calls for Andrew to quietly pack his bags and leave the UK have resurfaced, and this time not just from critics. As per reports, many within the government are pushing to formally strip him of his dukedom. Behind the latest wave of outrage is a key suggestion — one that not only calls for his exile but for accountability. As MPs explore the rare parliamentary process required to revoke Andrew’s title, royal commentator Sarah Vine has urged him to make a dignified exit on his own terms.
Writing for the Daily Mail, she argued that the 65-year-old should “for once in his pathetic, pampered life, just do the right thing and fall on his sword.” The sentiment echoes what much of the British public seems to feel, that the Duke’s continued presence on royal property is an albatross of a scandal the monarchy can't shake off.
“It’s time he accepted some responsibility," Vine urged, adding that Andrew should not consider King Charles his 'butler'. She said, "If Andrew truly respects his family or the legacy of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, he should hand back the keys to Royal Lodge and voluntarily take himself off somewhere away from the cameras where he — and the Duchess of York, if she so wishes — can live out their days in private.”
For Andrew, that 'somewhere' might not be hard to find. The Duke once cultivated strong ties in the Middle East during his time as the UK’s trade envoy, a role that fit neatly into his comfort zone of royal privilege and elite connections. With its culture of deference toward royalty, the region could easily serve as the quiet refuge Vine and others are suggesting.
But the timing of this renewed campaign is what could be the sting, as, according to the same outlet, York MP Rachael Maskell, currently suspended from Labor for defying the party whip, is trying to revive a 2022 Bill to remove Andrew’s Duke of York title altogether. Two other MPs have reportedly approached parliamentary officials about similar legislation, one of which also targets another figure under public scrutiny, businesswoman Michelle Mone. Stripping a Duke of his dukedom is not as simple, though. It can only be done through an Act of Parliament, and in this case, it may even require the King’s consent to amend existing law, a political and personal tangle that could prove awkward for Charles. After all, it’s one thing to quietly distance yourself from your scandal-ridden brother, and completely another to formally approve his unseating.
This push to strip Andrew's titles comes after new reports emerged that he had reached out to Jeffrey Epstein months after publicly claiming to have cut ties with the disgraced financier. An email allegedly sent in February 2011 had Andrew sympathizing with Epstein and vowing to "play some more soon." Around the same time, Sarah Ferguson was said to have described Epstein as a “steadfast, generous and supreme friend” in her own correspondence.