City Guides Challenge Corporation Over Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's Freedom Honour
A coalition of City of London guides has formally urged the City of London Corporation to pursue the removal of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's Freedom of the City honour, directly contesting official claims that such action is legally impossible. The group, which includes prominent figures such as a former BBC journalist and Lisa Honan CBE, who served as Governor of St Helena, Ascension Island, and Tristan da Cunha from 2016 to 2019, has outlined specific legal and procedural pathways to revoke the honour.
Proposed Routes for Revocation
In a detailed email sent to several Corporation members this month, the guides proposed three potential methods to strip Mr Mountbatten-Windsor of the Freedom:
- Review Patrimony Rules: Amend the eligibility criteria for inheriting the Freedom via patrimony, potentially introducing a revocation clause. The group notes that these rules have been modified historically, such as to allow inheritance through either parent.
- Utilize Disenfranchisement Rule: Rely on existing disenfranchisement provisions that might apply in cases of misconduct or public disgrace.
- Seek Legislative Action: Petition Parliament to enact new legislation enabling the removal of the honour in exceptional circumstances.
Lisa Honan emphasized the group's determination, stating, "More than 200 organisations have distanced themselves from Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. Where there is a will, there is usually a way, and we hope the City will now show that will." She argued that allowing him to retain the honour contradicts the City's values of integrity and transparency, particularly in a year when the City is led by only the third woman ever to serve as Mayor.
Corporation's Stance and Background
The City of London Corporation has maintained that there is "no effective legal mechanism" to remove Mr Mountbatten-Windsor's Freedom, as he received it in 2012 via patrimony—a legal right inherited from his father, Prince Phillip, who was a Freeman. A spokesperson acknowledged that the Corporation is "listening to the concerns raised and is reflecting on what further steps, if any, may be open to us."
This controversy arises amid a series of scandals involving Mr Mountbatten-Windsor. Last year, King Charles stripped him of his royal titles, styles, and honours following revelations about his relationship with the convicted paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein. In February, he was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office for allegedly sharing sensitive information with Epstein while serving as the UK's trade envoy. He was released under investigation after 11 hours in custody and has denied any wrongdoing.
Internal Criticism and Broader Implications
Within the Corporation, Alderwoman Martha Grekos has described the inability to remove the honour as "unattainable and self-harming," questioning the message it sends to women. The guides, who acted independently rather than on behalf of their professional body, the City of London Guide Lecturers Association, are mostly Freemen of the City themselves. They argue that retaining the honour risks devaluing its significance for all holders.
Ms Honan added, "For many of us, the Freedom is not just an old tradition but a genuine honour, bound up with the history and identity of the Square Mile. Allowing Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to continue to hold it risks devaluing that honour and diminishing what it means for everyone else."
In a related development, the Local Democracy Reporting Service revealed that the Stationers' Company is researching an honorary membership awarded to Mr Mountbatten-Windsor's ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, in 1988, though a spokesperson denied plans to remove it.
