Police remove Prince Andrew plaque from Devon station after complaint
Officers said the Duke’s recent removal of military titles played a part in the decision
A plaque marking the opening of a police station by Prince Andrew has been removed following a complaint.
Devon and Cornwall Police took down the sign in the wake of the the Duke of York being stripped of his military titles and royal patronages ahead of a civil sexual abuse trial in the US.
The royal, who is being sued by Virginia Giuffre, denies wrongdoing.
Senior officers in Devon decided to take down the plaque which had been on the wall at Torquay police station for over 20 years.
Assistant Chief Constable Jim Nye confirmed: “Following a complaint we received from a member of the public, a decision was made to move the plaque from public display.
“The recent removal of Prince Andrew’s military affiliations and royal patronages were also taken into account when making this decision.”
Andrew has links to Devon, having trained at Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth from 1979 to 1980.
The Queen this week stripped her son of its military titles along with the right to call himself ‘His Royal Highness’ as she sought to limit damage to Buckingham Palace.
The palace is also calls to further strip Prince Andrew of his dukedom over the sexual abuse allegations against him.
Darryl Smalley, a York City Council executive, has begun a campaign to strip him of his dukedom over the “troubling allegations”.
He said: “York’s unique connection to the crown and the monarch is an important part of our city’s legacy and history, and a great source of pride.”
He added that, although Andrew “remains innocent until proven guilty”, the government and Buckingham Palace “must consider the implications of these troubling allegations moving forward”.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies