Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor Invited to Relinquish Freedom of City of London

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been invited by councillors of the City of London to formally relinquish the Freedom of the City of London, an honour he inherited in 2012 by virtue of patrimony through his father. The Freedom of the City of London is a historic honour that traditionally allowed recipients certain privileges, such as walking sheep over London Bridge without paying a tariff.

The City of London Corporation previously stated that this type of Freedom, granted by patrimony, cannot be revoked through legal means.

A spokesperson for the City of London Corporation said that elected members agreed to write to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor inviting him to formally give up the Freedom. The spokesperson also clarified that applications for the Freedom via patrimony are not considered or endorsed by elected members, and there is no effective legal mechanism to remove this type of Freedom.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was stripped of his royal titles, styles, and honours last year following revelations about his relationship with a convicted paedophile. In February, he was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office related to correspondence suggesting he may have passed on sensitive trade information. He was released under investigation after spending 11 hours in custody.

The Freedom of the City of London has also been awarded to other public figures, including Sir Lenny Henry and Cate Blanchett.