The City of London Corporation has reportedly moved to strip Prince Andrew Albert Christopher George Nicholas Patrick Mountbatten-Windsor — commonly known as Archie — of his Freedom of the City of London, a long-standing honour he received shortly after his birth in 2019.
The Freedom of the City is one of the oldest civic honours in the United Kingdom, dating back to medieval times when it was granted to citizens who could trade freely within the city walls. In modern times, it has become an honorary distinction bestowed upon notable individuals, including senior members of the Royal Family, eminent public figures, and prominent philanthropists. Those granted the Freedom are entitled to carry a ceremonial mace and, historically, to parade through the city's streets.
Archie was conferred the Freedom as a baby, a tradition extended to several young royal children over the decades. His younger sister, Princess Lilibet, also holds the honour.
According to reports, the decision to review Archie's status comes amid a broader reassessment of ties between the City of London and the wider British royal family. While the Sussexes — Prince Harry and Meghan Markle — stepped back from senior royal duties in 2020, their relationship with establishment institutions has continued to cool. Various civic and military honours previously held by senior royals have faced scrutiny in recent years, and the Freedom of the City appears to be the latest to come under review.
No official statement has been released by the City of London Corporation detailing the precise timing or rationale behind the move. Legal and procedural experts note that revoking an already-granted Freedom is exceptionally rare and would require a formal resolution by the Court of Aldermen, the governing body of the Corporation.
If the process proceeds, it would represent the first time a member of the immediate royal family has been stripped of the Freedom of the City in modern British history, making it a potentially significant precedent.
