A recent poll has shown that the overwhelming majority of the public, with four out of five people, support the formal removal of Prince Andrew’s dukedom. The pressure on Prince Andrew to give up his Royal Lodge mansion has increased following the release of Virginia Giuffre’s posthumous memoir, along with his decision to stop referring to himself as the ‘Duke of York’ last week. However, only an act of parliament can officially strip him of his title, a move that most British citizens appear to endorse.
According to a new YouGov survey, 63% of nearly 6,700 adults surveyed strongly support the idea of removing the dukedom, while 17% somewhat support it. Only 6% oppose the removal – 4% somewhat and 2% strongly – with 14% expressing uncertainty.
Prince Andrew has denied the allegations made against him by Virginia Giuffre. Records show that he signed a 75-year lease for the Royal Lodge mansion in 2003, paying £1 million for the lease initially. He has only paid “one peppercorn” of rent per year since then. Additionally, he was required to pay £7.5 million for refurbishments in 2005. Ending his lease prematurely could prove challenging under English law.
Dame Meg Hillier, chairwoman of the Treasury Committee, emphasized the need for transparency regarding taxpayer money and interests, calling for scrutiny into the Royal Lodge lease. Downing Street referenced a 2005 National Audit Office report that found no issues with the lease arrangements for the Royal Lodge.