Sarah Ferguson faced another civic setback this week as York councillors prepared to vote on whether she should keep a long-held local honor. The move came nearly 40 years after the title was first given to the Duchess of York as a wedding-era gift. It also followed renewed scrutiny around the former royal couple, with ex-Prince Andrew’s ex-wife now facing a formal review of her Freedom of the City of York title.
Sarah Ferguson could reportedly lose Freedom of the City of York title after Ex-Prince Andrew
According to The Times, the proposed vote was scheduled for March 26 at an extraordinary council meeting in York. The honor dated back to 1987, one year after Sarah Ferguson married Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and became the Duchess of York. Back then, the ceremony reportedly drew crowds of around 200,000. Now, however, the same title stood at the center of a formal council motion.
As noted in the report, the meeting agenda addressed the issue directly. It read, “The council resolves that, pursuant to section 249 of the Local Government Act 1972, the City of York council withdraws the Honorary Freeman of the City status from Sarah Ferguson, which was conferred upon her in 1987.” That wording made clear the vote concerned only one issue. Meanwhile, it also showed how formal the process had become. In addition, the motion followed the 2022 decision to remove the same honor from ex-Prince Andrew.
The report also noted that Labour council leader Claire Douglas had earlier said it was “deplorable” for anyone holding city-linked titles to remain tied to such controversy. Therefore, Ferguson’s case now appeared to be part of a wider review of York-associated honors. The outlet added that officials working for the Duchess of York did not respond to a request for comment. At the same time, the report said she had not been seen publicly for several weeks.
Meanwhile, the title itself carried real symbolic weight. The Freedom of the City of York has previously gone to figures such as Winston Churchill, Judi Dench, and the Duke of Wellington. So, if councillors voted to remove Ferguson’s title, the decision would mark a notable civic break. For now, the Duchess remained on the agenda, and the final call rested with York’s council next week.
