Northern Ireland town to change street name honoring former Prince Andrew

By Aysu Bicer

LONDON (AA) — A council in Northern Ireland has taken the first step in the UK to rename a street dedicated to former Prince Andrew, following King Charles’ recent moves to remove his brother from public life.

Andrew, 65, the younger brother of King Charles III and second son of Queen Elizabeth, has faced sustained criticism in recent years for his behavior and his ties to the late Jeffrey Epstein, a disgraced financier and convicted sex offender. He gave up the title Duke of York last month.

Mid and East Antrim Borough Council voted unanimously on Monday to begin the process of changing the name of Prince Andrew Way in Carrickfergus.

The decision comes after the king stripped Andrew of his princely title and removed him from his official residence amid ongoing scrutiny of his links to Epstein.

Residents elsewhere in the UK have also urged local authorities to reconsider streets named after Andrew.

Councillor Anna Henry of the Traditional Unionist Voice party said: “This is a sad but necessary motion. 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.”