Calls are growing in Parliament to remove Prince Andrew’s remaining titles and end his use of a Grace and Favour residence. He strongly denies all claims made against him and insists he has done nothing wrong.
00:00The controversy surrounding Prince Andrew, who strongly denies all claims made against him, has reignited political debate at Westminster.
00:08Several MPs are backing proposals to let Parliament remove titles in exceptional cases.
00:13The House of Commons Library says honours granted under royal prerogative can only be withdrawn through an Act of Parliament, meaning any reform would be both complex and politically sensitive.
00:23There's probably quite a good test of the popularity or the sort of the notoriety, perhaps, of a particular character by the number of memes you've got.
00:32And I've had a fair number involving Prince Andrew, including one which actually sort of takes issue with the fact that he got 12 million pounds, which we believe was from his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth, to pay someone who he claims he's never met.
00:47Well, forgive me, I wouldn't give 12 quid to someone I'd never met.
00:51So there's a whole stink, if you like.
00:54I used to sort of to to work with somebody in HR and their expression used to be there's a lot of noise around this person.
01:03So we've got a lot of noise around Prince Andrew.
01:05This is nothing new.
01:06We remember the Emily Maitlis interview.
01:09Commentators say the discussion has become a wider question about how accountability and privilege are balanced in the modern monarchy.
01:15So where does it take us?
01:16Well, quite clearly, he has a lot of questions to answer.
01:18But the fact that he is his royal highness for as long as that sort of remains is a difficulty.
01:26He is not being subject to the same treatment as you or I, if we were in a similar position.
01:34Labour MP Rachel Maskell's private bill is gathering cross-party interest and analysts believe its progress will reveal how much appetite there is for change inside Parliament.
01:43Prince Andrew, yeah, he's kind of top of the tree.
01:48You know, he is the sort of the elite of the elite.
01:51So, yeah, I think it would send a very powerful signal from a Labour government that they are sort of determined to sort of do something about inequality.
02:00And, you know, it really, it's kind of, it's almost as if he's thumbing his nose at the fact I'm sort of sitting high in the castle, looking down on the sort of the poor people.
02:11And there's nothing you can do.
02:13You know, the fact that the law seems to be ineffectual.
02:17So, yeah, if that's the case, then change the law.
02:19And I think it would be, you know, they can introduce emergency legislation if that's required.
02:23Then maybe that's what's necessary on this occasion.
02:26I think it would be very popular with the public.
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