Experts have suggested there is more to come in the Prince Andrew and Epstein scandal – and now changes are underway to remove the former Prince’s from streets across the UK
The reputation of Andrew Mountbatten Windsor lies in ruins. As such any association to the former Prince is far from desirable – and that extends to street names in his honour.
Roads, lanes, terraces, crescents, closes, drives and avenues are all affected, and now a concerted effort is being made to remove Andrew’s name, much to the relief of the majority of residents.
In Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland, there is a Prince Andrew Way, so named in celebration of his 1986 marriage to Sarah Ferguson. Mid and East Antrim council has now passed a motion to change it, described by one councillor as “sad but necessary”, via the Guardian.
More unfortunate still, in Maidenhead, Berkshire, there is a Prince Andrew Road adjoining Prince Andrew Close. In order to deal with that issue, the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead last week made it easier for any name change.
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While previously all residents would need to agree, now it only requires two-thirds to be on board. The motion passed with 31 councillors voting for, and four against. Two abstained.
Many residents welcomed the rule change. Aman Gandhi, who lives in Prince Andrew Road, said he wants the road renamed quickly.
“It’s been a little bit awkward when we talk to people and drop our road name… It’s not a name that you want attributed to where you’re living,” Mr Gandhi told the BBC. “From my perspective, the sooner [the renaming] comes, the better.”
It’s a wide-spread issue. Places including Cambridge, Hitchin, Telford, Newport, Enniskillen and Dungannon all have roads bearing Andrew’s name and royal prefix. But the process of removing the royal’s moniker won’t be easy. Details on residents’ bank accounts, credit cards, driving licences, utility bills, property deeds, business letter heads, and even pet microchips, will have to change.
But many are keen to consider new road name options and disassociate from Andrew, who has been formally stripped of his styles and titles in the fallout over sex allegations relating to Virginia Giuffre, a victim of the US financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. He has always denied the claims.
It comes after an expert warned there is likely more to come in the scandal. According to Mark Landler, London bureau chief of The New York Times, we may not yet have “seen the whole drama play out”.
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During an appearance on The Royals with Roya and Kate podcast, he suggested that King Charles’ “difficult decision” to “go all the way” by stripping Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor of his titles could be due to the impending release of the Epstein Files.
It refers to the imminent, congressionally mandated release of a trove of documents that pertains to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein , who died in a New York prison cell in 2019.
In relation to US President Donald Trump recently signing the Epstein Files Transparency Act , Roya – royal editor for the Sunday Times -asked what “might that change” and what the public can expect to “come out”.
“I think we will see more; I actually think that we may see more on Andrew, which may explain why King Charles made the difficult decision to go all the way when he did,” Mark replied.
“I think some of that was anticipatory; they probably do worry about things that have yet to be disclosed. What they are, we don’t know yet. We will find out eventually. I mean, there’s a lot going on in the US.”
