Our city should no longer be associated with the Duke and Duchess of York – particularly after her ‘toxic’ letter to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
That’s the view of York Central MP Rachael Maskell.
Ms Maskell previously attempted to remove Prince Andrew’s title after revelations about his relationship with Epstein.
Now she says both of the former married couple should lose the name York.
It comes days after it was revealed that Sarah, Duchess of York, sent an apology email to Epstein calling him a “supreme friend”, after publicly disowning him in the media over his child abuse.
Ms Maskell told YorkMix: “Since the revelations around her links with Epstein – the continued link after knowing of his convictions – and, of course, writing that toxic note, I think we all recognise that there are real challenges with her carrying the title Duchess of York.”
She presented the Removal of Titles Bill to Parliament in 2022 to give either the monarch or a committee of Parliament the right to remove a title.
It didn’t make it into law, but she is considering bringing a bill back. That’s because the Duke and Duchess of York are damaging the city, she said.
“We’re a human rights city, we stand against that kind of behaviour, but also those associations. It’s massively challenging.
“Residents have contacted me, either as a survivor of abuse, or knowing someone in that situation, to say, we really need to see that dissociation from our city now.”
Ms Maskell says some visitors from abroad link the pair closely with York.
“When you look across the world, people probably have very little understanding that they may carry a title but actually don’t live and lead a city.
“So that’s why the segregation would be really important between the title and the people themselves.
“Obviously, that would take a change in Parliament. If that’s not achievable, then clearly we want to make it absolutely clear that this city stands for very high values, and certainly not what we have seen coming either from the Duke or the Duchess.”
She added: “If there are mechanisms to give that title, there must be mechanisms to remove it too.”
Many charities have now dissacotiated themselves from the Duchess of York after her letter to him came to light this week.
In an interview with the London Evening Standard in March 2011 the Duchess said of her relationship with Epstein: “I abhor paedophilia and any sexual abuse of children and know that this was a gigantic error of judgment on my behalf.”
Yet, a little over a month later, the duchess sent a message to him: “I know you feel hellaciously let down by me.
“And I must humbly apologise to you and your heart for that.
“You have always been a steadfast, generous and supreme friend to me and my family.”
These reports come three years after Prince Andrew settled a civil sex assault claim against him.
Virginia Giuffre, also known as Virginia Roberts, made a claim against the Duke for damages in her home country of the US, claiming she was trafficked by Jeffery Epstein, Andrew’s friend, to have sex with the royal when she was 17, a minor under US law.
Prince Andrew denies the claims. Giuffre died by suicide in April.
