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Brits say there’s one honour Andrew shouldn’t be stripped of — his South Atlantic Medal

David BenjaminFebruary 24, 2026

Just 3% of British people now view the former prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor in a positive light, according to new polling. That makes him easily the least popular royal in modern history. A staggering 90% of Brits currently hold an unfavourable opinion of Andrew (with 7% undecided or have no opinion). The numbers are really quite brutal. Yet amid the wreckage of discarded titles, removed ranks and a shattered reputation, there is one honour the public is not ready to see taken away from the man… (Picture: Getty Images)

Melania Trump, Prince Andrew, Gwendolyn Beck and Jeffrey Epstein at a party at the Mar-a-Lago club, Palm Beach, Florida, February 12, 2000. (Photo by Davidoff Studios/Getty Images) — The most recent YouGov survey on the subject confirms what’s been rather clear for a number of years now. Andrew’s standing with the public has utterly collapsed following scrutiny of his relationship with the convicted sex offender and paedophile billionaire Jeffrey Epstein. The ex-Duke has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and is yet to be charged with anything. Still, the scandal has reshaped how Britons see him and what role, if any, he should have left within the Royal Family. (Picture: Davidoff Studios/Getty Images)

FILE PHOTO: Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, younger brother of Britain???s King Charles, formerly known as Prince Andrew, leaves Aylsham Police Station on a vehicle, on the day he was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office, after the U.S. Justice Department released more records tied to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, in Aylsham, Britain, February 19, 2026. REUTERS/Phil Noble/File Photo — On the question of his formal status, the public is pretty decisive. 82% of the UK public who were surveyed support removing Andrew entirely from the line of succession. Previous polling found 80% backed stripping him of his title as Duke of York. 79% supported removing his title as Prince. 76% approved of taking away his military rank of Vice Admiral. On most subjects, the appetite for removal is unmistakeably overwhelming. (Picture: Reuters)

FILE - In this file photo dated Friday, April, 29, 2011, Britain's Prince Andrew, center, and his daughters Britain's Princess Eugenie, left, and Princess Beatrice leave Westminster Abbey at the Royal Wedding of Prince William to Cathgerine Middleton, to become Kate Duchess of Cambridge, in London. Prince Andrew said Wednesday Nov. 20, 2019, that he is stepping back from public duties with the queen's permission, saying that recent disclosures regarding his association with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein have become a ???major distraction??? to the royal family???s work.(AP Photo/Gero Breloer, FILE) — The mood of the British public shifts when it comes to Andrew and the question of whether or not he should be allowed to retain his South Atlantic Medal, however. He received the award for serving as a helicopter co-pilot during the Falklands War back in the 1980s. On this issue, Britons are much more divided. 36% of those polled believe that, like everything else, it absolutely should be stripped from him. Slightly more, 43%, say that it shouldn’t. Military service, it seems for many, sits in a different category altogether. The numbers suggest that, for a sizeable group of people in Britain today, the medal appears to mark a specific period of service that stands apart from the scandal. (Picture: AP)

LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 16: Prince William, Prince of Wales, Catherine, Princess of Wales and Prince Andrew, Duke of York attend the Requiem Mass service for the Duchess of Kent at Westminster Cathedral on September 16, 2025 in London, England. Katharine, Duchess of Kent was married to Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, the first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. She died on September 4 at the age of 92 at Kensington Palace surrounded by her family. Having converted to Catholicism in 1994, her funeral takes place at Westminster Cathedral and is the first Catholic funeral to be held for a member of the royal family in modern British history. Her Royal Highness will be laid to rest at the Royal Burial Ground at Frogmore, Windsor. (Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage) — The survey shows that there is also criticism from the public around how the wider royal family have handled the events. 58% of Britons believe that the monarchy reacted too slowly to revelations about Andrew’s links to Jeffrey Epstein. Half – 51% – say that senior royals should have done much more to condemn him publicly. (Picture: Karwai Tang/WireImage)

FILE PHOTO: Britain's Prince Andrew speaks with King Charles as they leave Westminster Cathedral at the end of the Requiem Mass, on the day of the funeral of Britain's Katharine, Duchess of Kent, in London, Britain, September 16, 2025. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo — When it comes to King Charles III, opinion is more evenly balanced. Most think that the King has realistically done pretty much all he can to distance the institution from his brother and 40% of those asked believe that he’s handled the matter well. While 32% say he has handled it badly. (Picture: REUTERS)

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A Sandringham source revealed Fergie is expected to celebrate Christmas there with her ex Andy, their two daughters and their husbands Credit: INSTAGRAM Prince Andrew, sarah ferguson, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie family group Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor — The fallout extends to Andrew’s immediate family too, of course. A majority of Brits, 54%, believe that his daughters would be right to distance themselves from him if they so desired. And before any arrest had taken place, only 25% of Britons thought it was likely that he would face any kind of criminal charges for his involvement with Epstein. (Picture: Instagram)

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