Prince Andrew Way to be renamed - but council warns it won't be straightforward

A council in Northern Ireland has begun work to change the name of a street named after Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor - the first in the UK to do so.

Mid and East Antrim Council has unanimously decided to rebrand Prince Andrew Way in Carrickfergus following the King's decision to remove his brother from public life.

Andrew has been stripped of his titles and evicted from the Royal Lodge mansion in Windsor over his ties to the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

He has always vigorously denied all accusations against him.

The King took action after the memoir of his accuser, Virginia Giuffre, was released posthumously last month. The former prince has since been named in Epstein files released by Democrats in the US.

'Impossible' for road name to remain

Councillor Lauren Gray said the issue of renaming the street first emerged in 2019 but had grown in importance because of events over recent months.

She has proposed that the street retains its link to the Royal Family by honouring Queen Elizabeth II instead - describing her as a "strong female leader in a male-dominated world".

"Many conversations have taken place, online and across different community settings, and what is absolutely clear is that the people of Carrickfergus deserve to have a say in how we progress this going forward," Ms Gray added.

Her remarks were echoed by Councillor Anna Henry, who described the motion as "sad but necessary".

She said: "Regrettably the alleged actions of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor have made it impossible for this council to continue honouring him in the manner the good people of Mid and East Antrim have done in the past."

Staff will now begin work on the name-changing process, which will involve liaising with the postal service and the royal household, as well as launching a public consultation.

The council's interim chief executive, Valerie Watts, has warned the rebrand might not be without complications. She said: "There is no council policy for changing the name of a street, and it's not just straightforward.

"Residents absolutely need to be consulted because it can have far-reaching implications for them, such as changing your address for your bank account, credit card, driver's licence, utility bills etc, however it can be done, and the council does have the power to change street names."

There are about 10 addresses on Prince Andrew Way, and the council says it will also examine whether it can cover any costs they may incur.

Residents in other parts of the UK - including Prince Andrew Drive in Shropshire - also want their addresses to be updated.

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Last week, Andrew was criticised by US politicians after he failed to respond to their request for an interview about his ties to the disgraced financier.

The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform had asked the former Duke of York to cooperate with its investigation into Epstein's sex trafficking operations.

However, the 65-year-old did not comply with its deadline of 20 November, with two politicians on the committee arguing his silence "speaks volumes".

The prime minister refused to comment on the case when asked by reporters en route to the G20 summit in South Africa - and said it was a decision for Andrew.

However, he added: "A general principle I've held for a very long time is that anybody who has got relevant information in relation to these kind of cases should give that evidence to those that need it."

US President Donald Trump signed a bill ordering the US justice department's Epstein files to be released last week - and they will be made public within 30 days.

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