Elected representatives for the city of Inverness believe it is time for Prince Andrew to lose his Earl of Inverness title.
Of the 32 elected politicians in Inverness who were asked their opinion, 13 said that the title should be removed, or that the prince should give it up.
One councillor said it was “sad for all involved”.
Following on from the prince’s out-of-court settlement in an American court with a woman who accused him of sexually assaulting her when she was 17, we have created a poll to find out what you think.
Nine of the politicians we asked did not respond to emails and/or phonecalls on the issue.
Two politicians were unable to respond.
And seven said it was a matter for the palace, or declined to comment.
Some of the politicians were under the impression that Prince Andrew had already had his title removed.
Councillor Andrew Jarvie, Inverness South, said it was “shocking” that the prince still had the title. He said: “There has to be a way to strip him of this title.”
Drew Hendry MP for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey, said: “If even his mother, The Queen, thinks it is inappropriate for him to retain his other titles, it surely must be unthinkable for him to be able to retain the title of Earl of Inverness.”
Yesterday, we reported, a councillor had been met with “silence” over his calls for the removal of the Earl of Inverness title.
So we asked elected members from Westminster, the Scottish Parliament and from the Inverness area what they thought. The overwhelming response was that it was time for Andrew to go.
But as we reported yesterday, this would take an act of parliament.
In the UK Parliament – House of Lords Library – it does however state that a peerage can be removed.
Have your say on whether Prince Andrew should be Earl of Inverness
We want to hear what you think.
We have created a poll, and there is a space for your comments to be used.
Should an act of parliament be created to remove the title of the Earl of Inverness from Prince Andrew?
Or do you feel that he is a suitable person to remain in place with the title?
Tell us your thoughts, and we will publish a selection of them in a future article.
MP
Drew Hendry: SNP MP for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey, said: “If even his mother, the Queen, thinks it is inappropriate for him to retain his other titles, it surely must be unthinkable for him to be able to retain the title of Earl of Inverness.
“He should give up the title, I hope he does the right thing and surrenders it as soon as possible.”
MSPs
Fergus Ewing: SNP MSP for Inverness and Nairn: Did not respond to email.
Emma Roddick: SNP MSP for Highlands and Islands: “I completely agree and sympathise with those calling for the Earl of Inverness title to be stripped from Andrew.
“I am a republican myself, but Queen Elizabeth is about as royalist as you can get and she saw fit to strip him of his military and other royal titles.
“I think it is hard for Invernessians to swallow that it is apparently still appropriate for him to be associated with our city.”
Edward Mountain: Scottish Conservative MSP for Highlands and Islands: Mr Mountain was unavailable for comment.
Rhoda Grant: Scottish Labour MSP for Highlands and Islands: “It would be appropriate that Prince Andrew lose his Earl of Inverness title. Given that he has been stripped of his royal patronages and military titles it would surely follow that he also lose this title.”
Ariane Burgess: Scottish Greens MSP for Highlands and Islands said: “My party and I believe that the people of Scotland should be able to elect their head of state. I appreciate that some others hold a different view. But, whatever anyone’s position on the monarchy I am confident that most people in Inverness would want nothing to do with Prince Andrew.
“I would support any campaign to disassociate him with the city.”
Douglas Ross: Scottish Conservative MSP for Highlands and Islands: Did not comment.
Donald Cameron and Jamie Halcro-Johnson: Scottish Conservative MSPs for Highlands and Islands: Declined to comment.
Highland Council
Aird and Loch Ness committee
Margaret Davidson Independent Highland Council leader said: “Prince Andrew’s royal titles are a matter for the palace.”
Helen Carmichael Independent, Provost of Inverness: Did not respond to email.
Emma Knox SNP: Did not respond to email.
David Fraser Independent: Was unable to respond to email.
Inverness West councillors
Bill Boyd SNP: Councillor Boyd said the situation was “sad for everyone involved”.
Colin Aitken and Alex Graham, both of the Scottish Liberal Democrats: Did not respond to email.
Inverness Central councillors
Janet Campbell independent, and Bet MacAllister Scottish Labour: Did not respond to email.
Emma Roddick, SNP: Included in MSP list.
Inverness Ness-side councillors
Alasdair Christie Scottish Liberal Democrat, deputy leader of Highland Council: “In light of this horrible situation and the substantial financial settlement made by Prince Andrew it would seem appropriate to me for Prince Andrew to relinquish the title of Earl of Inverness along with the other titles and patronages that have already been removed.”
Ron MacWillam SNP: “It was untenable, as I said more than two years ago, for Prince Andrew to continue his association with our city.
“Today it is absolutely without question that he must relinquish the title of Earl of Inverness, or preferably that this pointless title be relegated to the dustbin of history.
“It is some small measure of justice for the victims of these atrocities that a financial reparation has been agreed but this story is far from over and we in Inverness will not accept someone of such disreputable character continuing to associate himself with our city on any level.”
Callum Smith Scottish Conservative: Did not respond to email.
Inverness Millburn
Ian Brown SNP, Jimmy Gray Scottish Labour and Isabelle Mackenzie Scottish Conservatives: Did not respond to emails.
Culloden and Ardersier
Trish Robertson Liberal Democrat: “Prince Andrew has shown a distinct lack of judgement in his choice of friends.
“His attempts to explain himself in recent months has only served to prove he is unworthy of the title of Earl of Inverness.”
Roddy Balfour Independent and Glynis Campbell Sinclair SNP: Did not respond.
Inverness South
Carolyn Caddick Liberal Democrat, deputy city leader: “As the Inverness deputy city leader, I have been prioritising the City of Inverness and area committee ahead of the committee meeting and as a councillor I feel that is where my focus should currently be.
“Also, I believe this subject is a matter for the palace, rather me as a local councillor.”
Ken Gowans SNP: “It would be difficult for Prince Andrew to justify the point of, or why the he would wish to, retain the honorary title of the Earl of Inverness, given he is not continuing as a royal in a public role.
“I am not aware of any time the prince has actually visited the city, other than to collect his title, under the circumstances it may be reasonable to have someone more appropriate to hold the title. ”
Andrew Jarvie Scottish Conservative: “When I saw he was stripped of his titles, I thought it had been reported that this included Earl of Inverness.
“I have to say I am shocked that it didn’t. There has to be a way to strip him of this title, I am not aware of anyone who feels in light of all that happened he deserves the right to represent our city.
“We will never know what really happened, but I look at the bizarre interview, The Queen ejecting him from the Royal Family and now actually settling the case – it’s just incomprehensible that he is somehow able to retain the title of out city.”
Duncan Macpherson Independent: “The issuing of the subsidiary title of Earl of Inverness is at the discretion of the reigning monarch, in 1920 Prince George (later George V) held the title. Earl of Inverness Road at Inverlochy in Fort William is the only road in the Highlands named in his honour from around this time.
“In 1986 Her Majesty the Queen created the title for her second son on the occasion of his marriage, its 4th time of being created.
“I understand the Queen didn’t consult Inverness elected members prior to the introduction of the title, and she alone has the power to remove it. This will involve constitutional issues and may require an act of parliament to achieve this.
“Whilst it’s important to point out that Prince Andrew and his legal advisors have always denied the accusations of wrongdoing levelled against him, however ‘the court of public opinion’ as relayed to me by constituents, suggests that the Inverness public feel that there is now a stain on his character and therefore his public credibility.
“I am confident that HM the Queen and Buckingham Palace officials will advise the Queen accordingly and I would not be surprised if this subsidiary title of Earl of Inverness is soon removed, in the same way that The Queen has already stripped her second son of his military and charitable patronages.
“I and many others will then welcome this matter being put behind us and we can all look forward to celebrating the Royal Platinum Jubilee and the outstanding commitment and work of the Queen throughout her 70 years since replacing her father on the throne.”
Can a peerage be removed?
Yes, it is possible to remove a peerage.
However, as described in Gadd’s Peerage Law, once the Crown has granted a peerage it is “very difficult to deprive the holder of it”.
Peerages are created by letters patent: a legal document issued by the Sovereign and adorned with the Great Seal.
The Great Seal, formally known as the Great Seal of the Realm, is the chief seal of the Crown.
It is used to show the monarch’s approval of state documents. As explained in Halsbury’s Laws of England, the Crown does not have the power to cancel a peerage once it has been created.
A peerage can only be removed by an act of parliament. The most recent act that did this was the Titles Deprivation Act 1917 (TDA).
The TDA received royal assent on 8 November 1917. It was used to remove British peerages from “enemies” of the UK during the First World War.