Noble Titles Granted to the Duke of York

On 23/07/1986, the day of his marriage to Sarah Ferguson, Queen Elizabeth II granted Prince Andrew three hereditary titles within the Peerage of the United Kingdom. These included Duke of York, a title traditionally given to the second son of the reigning monarch, along with the subsidiary titles Earl of Inverness in Scotland and Baron Killyleagh in Northern Ireland. The titles formalized his status within the British nobility at the time of his wedding. The Dukedom of York has historically been associated with the monarch’s second son, and Prince Andrew’s appointment followed that tradition. The additional titles reflected the structure of the UK’s peerage system, providing territorial designations across different parts of the United Kingdom. Following the marriage, Sarah Ferguson became Duchess of York, a title she retained after their divorce in 1996 as part of established conventions for divorced royal spouses. In later years, Prince Andrew’s use and status of these titles became subject to change. In October 2025, reports indicated that he had stated he would no longer use his titles amid ongoing public and institutional pressure. Subsequently, in November 2025, it was reported that King Charles III issued Letters Patent formally removing these peerages and his status as a prince, with administrative updates including his removal from the Roll of the Peerage. By April 2026, he was referred to in some reports as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, reflecting these reported changes to his legal and public identity. During the same period, Sarah Ferguson’s association with the Duchess of York title also evolved, with reports indicating she had ceased using it, while separately, in March 2026, the City of York voted to remove her Freedom of the City honor. These developments represent a shift from the formal granting of hereditary titles in 1986 to their reported relinquishment and removal nearly four decades later. #PrinceAndrew #DukeOfYork #RoyalTitles #BritishMonarchy #Peerage