Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor remains included in plans for a ceremonial royal funeral despite losing his titles and official royal status, according to reports about confidential Whitehall preparations that are drawing opposition from British lawmakers and attorneys who have represented victims of Jeffrey Epstein.
The 66-year-old former Duke of York, who is reported to be in good health, remains covered by the government's so-called "bridge" planning system for the deaths of senior members of the Royal Family. Buckingham Palace has declined to discuss the reported arrangements, and no official details of Andrew's eventual funeral have been released.
The plans have reportedly been revised during the past year to account for Andrew's loss of working-royal status and honorary military positions. Even after those changes, however, the current blueprint is said to envisage a formal ceremonial farewell, potentially centered on St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.
That prospect has transformed what would normally be an obscure exercise in royal contingency planning into a debate over public money, military honors and how the monarchy should treat a former senior royal whose reputation collapsed because of his association with convicted sex offender Epstein.
"Bridge" plans are prepared years ahead of a royal death, allowing the palace, government, police and other institutions to coordinate ceremonial and security arrangements. Queen Elizabeth II's funeral preparations were famously called Operation London Bridge, while Prince Philip's were known as Operation Forth Bridge.
No codename for Andrew's arrangements has been publicly disclosed. The existence of contingency planning also doesn't mean that every element would necessarily be implemented when he dies, particularly because such arrangements can be revised as circumstances change.
According to the reports, one possible model is the funeral held for Princess Margaret in 2002. Her service at St George's Chapel was comparatively private by royal standards, drawing around 400 mourners, including roughly 30 members of foreign royal families.
Andrew could similarly receive a service involving several hundred guests and an official mourning period during which flags would be lowered to half-mast. Unlike Margaret, who was cremated, Andrew is considered more likely to receive a traditional burial.
One location reportedly being considered is the Royal Burial Ground at Frogmore in Windsor. The private royal cemetery contains the graves of numerous members of the extended Royal Family, including the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.
The possibility of such honors has prompted particularly sharp criticism from attorneys representing Epstein's victims. Gloria Allred, the U.S. lawyer who has represented 27 Epstein victims, questioned why Andrew should receive "the honour of a royal funeral" and argued that British taxpayers shouldn't be responsible for his expenses either during his life or after his death.
Attorney Spencer Kuvin, who represented nine Epstein victims, called the prospect "an embarrassment to the Crown." He similarly argued against using public money for the funeral of someone who now occupies the position of a private individual.
Opposition has also emerged from British politicians. Conservative shadow Home Office minister Alicia Kearns said there were "no circumstances" in which Andrew should receive a royal funeral and called for any existing arrangements providing one to be revoked.
Former minister Norman Baker described Andrew as "a commoner," arguing that his present status no longer justifies the ceremonial privileges associated with senior members of the monarchy. Conservative MP Joe Robertson said Andrew's funeral "should be paid for privately just like everyone else's."
The dispute is complicated by Andrew's military record. He served in the Royal Navy and flew as a Sea King helicopter co-pilot during the Falklands War, service for which he retains his campaign medal despite subsequently losing his honorary military affiliations.
That history raises the question of whether serving members of the Royal Navy could participate in his funeral, including as pallbearers. Retired Rear Admiral Chris Parry said the service would likely "seek volunteers" if naval personnel were required.
Parry noted that Andrew "wasn't thrown out" of the Royal Navy and said he would personally serve as a pallbearer if asked. The distinction between Andrew's actual military service and the honorary positions he later lost creates an unusual protocol problem for planners.
