Andrew Gets A Reprieve In York Due To The Pandemic But It Only Delays The Inevitable (11/30/25)

In March 2022, the council had planned a vote to remove Prince Andrew’s “Freedom of the City of York” honour — a symbolic title granted in 1987. However, just before the meeting, a coronavirus outbreak struck among several councillors. Because of that, the extraordinary meeting was first moved online, then cancelled altogether. The outbreak effectively derailed the council’s effort to act immediately, postponing any decision until a later date. When the council reconvened, the vote finally took place in late April 2022 — and the council voted unanimously to strip him of the honour. That removal marked a public, formal severing of his civic link to York. The delay caused by COVID had bought a few weeks of limbo, but ultimately did not prevent the council from following through on its plan once public-health conditions allowed. to contact me: [email protected]