Prince Andrew latest: William ‘taking control’ of Palace response to scandal after criticism

Stephen Flynn has urged the Prime Minister to let the SNP act to strip Prince Andrew of his Duke of York title if the Government does not.

The SNP’s Westminster leader and Aberdeen South MP has urged the Government to act “swiftly” on the issue as the scandal surrounding Andrew’s friendship with the late paedophile Jeffrey Epstein and allegations of abuse against Virginia Giuffre rumbles on.

Mr Flynn said if ministers “don’t feel able or don’t feel comfortable” to act, the SNP should be granted an opposition day debate in the House of Commons to force a vote on stripping the title and launching a probe into Andrew’s finances and living arrangements.

But a Number 10 spokesman said the royal family “would not want to take time from other important issues”, with the Government refusing to allocate parliamentary time to discuss the situation.

“Prince Andrew has already confirmed he will not use his titles,” the spokesman said.

Last Friday, Prince Andrew voluntarily relinquished his titles and said he would stop using his Duke of York title to avoid distracting from the work of the royal family.

However, it would take an Act of Parliament for his dukedom and titles to be formally and officially removed.

Legislation has been used before to strip titles, notably descendants of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert who were on the German side in the First World War.

The Titles Deprivation Act 1917 remains in force but as it refers specifically to the First World War, its provisions are unlikely to be relevant today.

The Government has indicated that it would not introduce any legislation to strip Andrew of his titles unless the King wanted to.

Prince Andrew has lived at the 30-room Royal Lodge mansion in Windsor Great Park for more than 20 years.

A copy of the leasehold agreement, shared by the Crown Estate shows Andrew signed a 75-year lease on the property in 2003.

It reveals he paid £1 million for the lease and that since then he has paid “one peppercorn” of rent “if demanded” per year.

He was also required to pay a further £7.5 million for refurbishments completed in 2005, according to a report by the National Audit Office.

The agreement also contains a clause which states the Crown Estate would have to pay Andrew around £558,000 if he gave up the lease.

The Public Accounts Committee is to write to the Crown Estate and the Treasury to raise “a number of questions” about Andrew’s lease on the property.

MPs will not be given time in the House of Commons to discuss Prince Andrew’s conduct because the royal family wants Parliament to focus on “important issues”, Downing Street said.

Asked whether ministers would allocate time for a debate, a No 10 spokesman said: “Prince Andrew has already confirmed he will not use his titles.

“We support the decision made by the royal family and we know the royal family would not want to take time from other important issues.

Virginia Giuffre has alleged in her posthumous memoirs that a major broadcaster did not air an interview with her concerning Prince Andrew due to fears about access to the royal family.