Prince Andrew's current position: 'The Duke may keep royal title despite losing military rank'

By
Web Desk
|
Prince Andrews current position: The Duke may keep royal title despite losing military rank

Prince Andrew, who faces a civil case in the US over allegations he sexually assaulted a woman when she was 17, may keep his royal title despite losing his military rank, according to a law expert.

Craig Prescott, a lecturer in law at Bangor University in Wales, has shared his view on Prince Andrew's current situation, saying The Duke of York may retain his royal title- due to a little known law that dates back to 1917.

Buckingham Palace has issued a statement that says he will lose his remaining patronages and military titles, and he will no longer use His Royal Highness.

According to Dr Prescott, as reported by Mirror,  a law passed by King George V in 1917 - known as Letters Patent - Prince Andrew, like Prince Harry, is entitled to use the style 'His Royal Highness' unless The Queen officially revokes it, which hasn't yet happened.

"The difficulty for the Queen is that both Prince Harry and Prince Andrew are entitled to retain the title under Letters Patent issued by George V in 1917 - this is a legal document that effectively expresses the wishes of the monarch."

Dr Prescott continued: "It would take a further Letters Patent for a HRH title to be removed from someone.

"Still, Andrew has not lost everything. He retains the title of 'prince' from birth and remains the Duke of York, which is a peerage.

"Under the law, both titles and peerages are forms of intangible property (incorporeal hereditaments). A general principle of law is that property cannot simply be seized from someone without prior legal authorisation. He also remains in the line of succession for the throne," claimed Dr Prescott.