14 royals who lost or declined their titles: Prince Andrew, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry aren’t the only ones stripped of their status

Jan 23 , 2022

These royals had their titles removed from them. Photos: Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images, Reuters, TNS, AP, @princessanneprincessroyal/Instagram

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle lost their titles after stepping down as senior royals, while Princess Diana’s was stripped following her divorce to Charles

UK’s Edward VIII abdicated the throne to marry divorcee Wallis Simpson, Japan’s Princess Mako also gave up her royal status, as well as US$1 million, for love

Queen Elizabeth stripped her second son, Prince Andrew of his royal titles last week as a result of the ongoing sexual assault lawsuit against him brought by Virginia Roberts in New York State. This means Prince Andrew will no longer be known as His Royal Highness or have any royal military affiliations or charitable patronages. He will still be known as the Duke of York, a title gifted to him by his mother on his wedding day, and is still a prince of the United Kingdom.

But he is hardly the first royal to have his titles stripped from him. Andrew is the fifth royal in 26 years to have HRH title taken away. Let’s look at them and other examples from Britain, and beyond.

1. Princess Diana and Sarah Ferguson

Princess Diana lost her official title after her divorce, but is still known as “the people’s princess”. Photo: @diana.princess.wales/Instagram, Mills & Boon

Following their divorces to Prince Charles and Prince Andrew respectively, both Princess Diana and Sarah Ferguson had their titles taken away in 1996.

2. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attend the 2021 Salute To Freedom Gala at Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum on November 10, 2021 in New York City. Photo: AFP

And more recently, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were stripped of their royal highness status after they stepped down as senior royals in January 2020. Harry also lost his royal military titles and charitable patronages.

3. King Edward VIII

King Edward VIII ascended the throne in January 1936 and abdicated in December 1936 to marry Wallis Simpson. Photo: Central Press

Edward VIII, the queen’s uncle, never lost his HRH title however, when he abdicated the throne in 1936 to marry twice divorcee, Wallis Simpson after only 326 days as king.

He was forced to abdicate before his coronation, as British monarchs head of the Church of England, which back then did not allow divorcees to remarry if their ex-spouse was still living. Edward was demoted to the title of Duke of Windsor and was forced into exile for the rest of his life.