What will happen to Prince Andrew's royal title if it's formally removed by parliament?

Prince Andrew gave up all of his royal titles and honours last week, as controversy around his connections to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein and an alleged Chinese spy continues to swirl. While he has relinquished use of his titles, including the Duke of York, only an Act of Parliament can formally strip him of his dukedom.

York Central MP Rachael Maskell has set out legislation which would grant the King the power to remove titles. The proposed new law would give the monarch the power to remove titles on his own initiative, following a recommendation of a joint committee of Parliament, or at the request of the person who holds the title.

Ms Maskell said: "It is time for Parliament to act so that it can, or the monarch can, remove titles. The Duke of York title may no longer be being used by its holder, but it has not been removed. My short Bill, The Removal of Titles Bill, will fix this; I hope it can now be supported by Parliament." The Bill stands little chance of becoming law without Government support, and ministers have resisted calls to act, insisting such decisions are for the King. So what will happen to the Duke of York title in future?

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Andrew was given the titles from his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, on the day of his marriage to Sarah Ferguson in 1986. As Andrew only has two daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, and no male heirs, the dukedom will again revert to the Crown upon his death.

Traditionally, it is a dukedom granted to the monarch's second son, so in the future reign of King William V, technically, that would be Prince Louis. However, it remains to be seen whether William will give the dukedom to Louis or whether he will choose to break with convention.

Future royal titles

William and Kate's eldest son, Prince George, is likely to become the Prince of Wales once William becomes King, following in a long tradition. The Princess Royal title is traditionally bestowed upon the eldest daughter of the sovereign, but it is not automatic.

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The last Princess Royal before Princess Anne was Princess Mary, the only daughter of King George V and Queen Mary, who died in 1965. The title remained vacant for 22 years before Queen Elizabeth II bestowed it upon Princess Anne on 13 June 1987. If Anne is still using the title when William ascends the throne, he will not be able to give it to his daughter Princess Charlotte until the event of his aunt's death.