Andrew Mountbatten Windsor was formally stripped of his titles in a shock statement from the King on Thursday evening, in a decision that has been unprecedented in the last 100 years. As well as his position in the line of succession, Prince Andrew has been told to vacate his Windsor mansion, Royal Lodge, which he shares with his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson.
The former Duke of York is now set to move into a private residence on the Sandringham estate, and, according to the Times, there is a long list of items that won't be accompanying him over to his new digs. The publication reported that the list of items, which includes historical artworks and other priceless artefacts from his former home, is set to be returned to the Royal Collection Trust, one of the largest and most important art collections in the world, held in trust by the King as Sovereign for his successors and the nation.
Among the most memorable items is one, particularly, headline-making ancient sword, which was involved in a public ruse. Back in 2016, it was reported that Princess Beatrice was behind a scar on British singer Ed Sheeran's face as she used the aforementioned sword to pretend to "knight" the British singer Sir James Blunt, before he was actually knighted, at a party she held at Royal Lodge. The story goes that as she performed the action, Beatrice accidentally cut Ed Sheeran's face, who was standing behind his fellow singer.
However, James Blunt revealed that the story, which made headlines, was a complete fabrication. "Ed was drunk, messing around and he cut himself," the 43-year-old told Shortlist. "We made a fancy story up; people fell for it. It was very embarrassing." Asked how much of the story had been invented, he replied: "All of it. Apart from the actual scar. It's bizarre that people fell for it." James joked: "I blame him. He must be desperate – he's trying to sell records. He cut himself and I just patched him up. It's made him look prettier."
© Getty ImagesJames had also hinted the story was made up during an appearance on The Graham Norton Show: "If he [Ed] said his face got cut while she was 'knighting' me then dashed to A&E before returning to the party, then he is a liar," the singer told the chat show host. "For a start, she is a princess and would be rehearsed and practised in these matters, and given the NHS waiting lists, it would have been impossible to get to hospital and back so quickly."
Its website makes clear the King’s collection "is not owned by him as a private individual", rather it is "held in trust by the King as Sovereign for his successors and the nation."
© Dave Benett/Getty Images for TheWhat else is on the list?
The Times reported that another item set to be returned is a 19th-century oil painting of Eugénie, Empress of the French and wife of Napoleon III, by Charles Édouard Boutibonne, as well as historic photographs by Cecil Beaton.
