Prince Andrew To Prince Harry, Royals Who Gave Up Their Titles, Stepped Back From Duties

Prince Andrew on Friday gave up the title of Duke of York following years of criticism about his behaviour and connections to US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

In a statement, Prince Andrew, who is King Charles's younger brother, said the “continued accusations” against him were distracting from the work of the Royal Family. While he remains a prince, he will no longer hold the Duke of York title or his membership in the Order of the Garter. 

His former wife, Sarah Ferguson, also loses the title Duchess of York, though their daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, retain their royal titles.

Here are 15 others who have given up their titles, abdicated or distanced themselves from royal responsibilities over the years.

1) The Duke and Duchess of Windsor

King Edward VIII abdicated the throne on December 10, 1936, to marry the love of his life, Wallis Simpson, a divorcee, after less than a year as monarch. 

He became the Duke of Windsor, retaining the style of His Royal Highness. Simpson was titled Duchess of Windsor but denied the “Her Royal Highness” prefix.

2) Meghan Markle and Prince Harry

On January 8, 2020, Meghan and Prince Harry announced their decision to step back as senior royals.

The couple later moved to California with their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

3) Diana, Princess of Wales

After her divorce from then-Prince Charles in 1996, Diana reportedly lost the title of Her Royal Highness but retained her Kensington Palace apartment and certain royal privileges.

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She died in a car crash in Paris in 1997.

4) Prince Philip

Before marrying the future Queen Elizabeth II in 1947, Prince Philip renounced his Greek and Danish titles, became a British citizen, and adopted the last name Mountbatten.

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He was named the Duke of Edinburgh and remained consort to the Queen until his death at age 99 in April 2021.

6) Princess Mako of Japan

Princess Mako, niece of Emperor Naruhito, gave up her royal title to marry commoner, Kei Komuro, in October 2021.

The couple now live in New York, where Mako works at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Komuro passed the state bar in 2022.

7) Prince Friso of the Netherlands

Prince Friso lost his title as Prince of the Netherlands in 2004 after marrying Mabel Wisse Smit without parliamentary approval. Once second in line to the throne, he died in 2013 following complications from a skiing accident.

8) Princess Anne's Children

Princess Anne and her husband Mark Phillips, declined royal titles for their children, Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall, to allow them normal lives. Both have pursued independent careers, with Zara achieving success as an Olympic equestrian.

9) The Swedish Royal Grandchildren

In 2019, Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf removed the “Royal Highness” status from five of his grandchildren to reduce the number of working royals. They retained their prince and princess titles, though now only as personal designations.

10) Princess Ayako of Japan

In October 2018, Princess Ayako married commoner Kei Moriya, thereby relinquishing her royal title and becoming Ayako Moriya.

She is the second cousin of Princess Mako, who also gave up her royal status for love.

11) Emperor Akihito of Japan

Emperor Akihito abdicated in 2019 due to health reasons, the first Japanese monarch to do so in nearly 200 years. His son, Emperor Naruhito, succeeded him, continuing a lineage that spans more than two millennia.

12) Beatrix of the Netherlands

Queen Beatrix abdicated in 2013 after 33 years on the throne, passing the crown to her son, King Willem-Alexander. She reverted to the title Princess Beatrix, following the Dutch royal tradition of voluntary abdication.

13) Prince Michael of Kent

Prince Michael of Kent forfeited his place in the line of succession in 1978 to marry Catholic Baroness Marie-Christine von Reibnitz. He was reinstated in 2015 after succession laws were amended.

14) Queen Margrethe II of Denmark

After 52 years on the throne, Queen Margrethe II abdicated in January 2024, citing age and health concerns.

Her son, King Frederik X, succeeded her. She became Denmark's first female monarch under the 1953 Act of Succession.

15) King Juan Carlos I of Spain

King Juan Carlos I abdicated in 2014 in favour of his son, King Felipe VI, after nearly four decades on the throne. In 2020, amid corruption allegations, he left Spain, later returning in 2022 after investigations were dropped.