Andrew to lose Duke of York title

[Flixon]

News banner from the Torygraph saying Andrew and Sarah are losing their titles. They will be ‘put into Abeyance’ Andrew also to lose the Order of the Garter. Sarah will be known as Sarah Ferguson, he retains ‘Prince’ as he is the son of HM QE2.

bloody good job !

It was inappropriate and regrettable but I think came from being extremely embarrassed about being questioned on such a personal matter. I would probably have said something equally crass in those circumstances. I’m very private and feel absolutely mortified When questioned about very personal matters, even just in a one to one conversation.

Yes, it was unfortunate and Charles has been crucified for it over the years but he’s a shy man in a very public role and I get it.

Im not a psychology expert, but I think the whole setup of Monarchy leads to this kind of entitlement. How can it not? You are born into a family who just has incredible wealth handed to them yet do very little, from birth you have people catering to your every whim, grown adults are expected to bow to you and walk out of rooms backwards apparently out of deference to your Royal babiness, you never have any challenges that cant be smoothed over by people falling over themselves to smooth them out for you. Yet you have no real purpose and, if you are a 'spare' you know this from the minute you are born. You don't need to do well at school to get a good job or excel at anything because you don't have to. So unless you are the type of person who loves learning for learnings' sake (not really a Royal trait) you don't really have anything to challenge your brain. Even as adults, you can basically say what you like and people will nod, agree and never challenge you on whatever guff comes out of your mouth. And if something goes wrong, you have plenty of staff willing to take the blame. Of course you are going to be entitled. Its what you've been told your entire life.

I think the opposite - that a royal upbringing is more likely to exaggerate character flaws.

Brought up within a strict pecking order, but close enough to family members to see that it isn't based on merit.

Cheered and celebrated at various times of year, but not for anything that relates to character or ability. You need to have quite a very level head to cope with that gap between reality and public perception - and that's before you get into what happens when you do something the public don't like, even if that's just be too dowdy or boring.

There is no way to be royal without being trapped in a toxic co-dependent relationship with the media, and that can't help your mental health - no wonder it's been such a pet topic for various royals!

On the plus side, lots of houses, they will never go hungry, and great if you like horses, but it's not a way to create balanced individuals.

I think at least he was honest. They barely knew each other at their engagement. She was a particularly naive 19 year old girl who though being 'in love' meant marrying a Prince. He knew better. Not better enough to stand up for himself and not marry her though.

And he had dated/been in a relationship with her sister, that always made my skin crawl. The whole lot of them are odd

Many members of the public don’t understand that a Duke is a higher rank than a Prince.

It was a source of discord between her late HMQ and Prince Phillip until he was made DoE I believe.

Also being a member of the The Order of the Garter is considered highly prestigious.

Being unable to use his title of Duke (and participate on OOTG traditions) will be a massive blow to Andrew.

Far greater than perhaps any of us can comprehend for a man whose life, ego and sense of entitlement have been shaped by the deference he believes such titles have afforded him.

This action will have wounded him deeply and frankly I think it’s fair justice.

I was just musing and thought to myself, what if Andy had said - "F off Charlie, NO I will not "park" my titles for you or anyone else, geddit? Now piss off and leave me the hell alone". Or something like that 😊

What could be done then? Nothing I reckon, so he was adequately compensated somehow for the PR optics. Blood money.

No one in the RF is brave enough to open the can of worms and allow Parliament to rescind the titles. Can you imagine the debate!

Going to look for the Lownie interview online. I agree that there is way worse to come out and that the Palace acted yesterday in what it (in its old fashioned and out of touch way) saw as a pre-emptive strike so that when the new things are made public they can say they have already dealt with Andrew. The royal family always acts in its own interests the primary one of which is survival

The BBC are reporting that the government was absolutely pushing for the titles to be removed over the past week. Doing it like this saves parliamentary time but I think if he had refused this time it would have been done anyway. Aside from the Epstein files and the China spy, the way he behaved at the Duchess of Kent's created a lot of criticism and comment.

Harry punched this man just for fun when he met the band (when he was fun, adorable Prince Harry). It was totally unprovoked and TH was not amused, especially as there seemed to be no comeback or consequences for the entitled charmer.

It wouldn't happen anyway they left the firm. I don't think they would want to come back to England.

I think most members of the public wouldn't understand that.

I think that even in the UK the order goes

King/Queen

Disney Prince/Prince from Christmas Rom Com

That bloke from Downton.

Whilst I don't advocate for 19 year olds marrying people in their 30s I think it worth remembering that at the time the marriage happened the age gap wasn't that unusual and many many people married that young. Those sort of gaps were particularly common in aristocratic circles (Diana's sister is much younger than her husband). It was truly a different era.

It's good that these days we are more aware of power imbalances in age gap relationships and that society has finally stopped demanding heirs marry virgins.

I've heard rumers about TH and how he liked to swing he loved a good time.

But the titles haven't been removed by Parliament have they? I mean permanently and going forward! Very handy indeed to just "park" them for now by using some sort of in house leverage from presumably KC. Fudge, smoke and mirrors.

Glad to get that off my chest 😊, for all the good it will do me!

I agree.

No one in the RF is brave enough to open the can of worms and allow Parliament to rescind the titles. Can you imagine the debate!

We live in a constitutional monarchy: parliament is sovereign. The fact that frequently it does not suit them to intervene doesn't mean they can't.

You lost me at ' they have their duchies to manage' !

I read the gruesome twosome are disinvited from the RF's annual Christmas knees-up at Sandringham. Can't quite decide whether that is meant to PUNISH or REWARD the miserable, wretched pair. 🤷‍♀️

On another note, I've always had a sneaking, inexplicable fondness for Fergie. To me, she seems like a female, ginger version of Frank Spencer from Some Mothers Do Have 'Em. Except possible even more gormless.

Someone please disabuse me of the notion and harden my heart against all things Budgie the Helicopter.

I married my 33yr old husband one week after my 20th birthday - does that turn your stomach as well?

I find it interesting that people assume that the King has a lot more power than is actually the case. The Government aren't going to bother to remove the titles officially unless they have to. We are mostly run by precedent and this decision is in line with the way most things are done here.

No you aren't. A a survivor of SA myself I also 'raised a glass' last night to this news. In the cold light of day though: yes it will dent his ego but what should really happen is that he is legally required to speak to the FBI to see whether criminal charges are appropriate. Also he should answer to the UK Govt, & us the Plebs who pay for it all, re his role in both the recent 'Chinese spy' embroglio & all his previous murkey dealings. However given the King allegedly received carrier bags of cash, & the UK Govt props up the Monarchy & their absurd claim.of 'divine right to rule' neither will ever happen. It's something but it's certainly not justice.

They aren't parked for now, they are gone for good. If Andrew decides that he wants them back the Government will remove them legally. The Government were pushing for this to happen and it has happened in the most efficient way.

But the titles are still Andrew's, he just won't use them. Nothing has changed apart from a voluntary "parking" of same by Andrew, possibly with a gun to his back.

So if Parliament really wanted to change things, they would have. They don't because they don't want to upset the RF. Heaving sighs of relief today I'd say despite their huffing and puffing, that the problem has been solved in their eyes, but it hasn't. At all really.

Plus ca change.

Yet oddly he was very quick off the mark to deny taking a swing at Uncle Andrew (as alleged by Lownie).

This puzzles me. Surely it would be a feather in his cap? Is he saying Lownie made this up?

I literally can't wait to see what further revelations are doing to come out because we know they are going to be shocking!

So how long until Andrew is shipped off to a remote cottage in the highlands I wonder.

Also - totally agree with there needs to be transparency around all the Royal Finances etc. Hopefully William will do that but I imagine hard to have a conversation with his ill father basically saying he will be changing a lot.

And I do not believe the York girls are not up to their necks in the murky dealing of their parents - I mean the selling of Sarah's 'investment house' at a big loss after a few years.