The title Duke of York has been a magnet for misfortune over the centuries, but its most recent holder, Prince Andrew, has left a toxic legacy, says one expert

Andrew has left his titles behind (Image: Max Mumby/Indigo, Getty Images)

The Duke of York title is customarily bestowed upon a monarch’s second son, yet throughout history, it has mysteriously attracted calamity and scandal.

The most recent Duke of York, Queen Elizabeth II’s second son, has faced family pressure to give up most of his honours and titles, leaving him simply as Prince Andrew.

Prominent royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told the Mirror that while Andrew is by no means the first Duke of York to have a troubled life, the current scandal surrounding him has rendered the title “toxic.”

Typically, a dukedom passes to the holder’s heir – for instance, the present Duke of Norfolk represents the 18th generation since John Howard received the honour in 1483.

However, when the fourth Duke of York triumphed in the Wars of the Roses, he ascended to become King Edward IV, causing the title to merge with the Crown. From that point onwards, the tale of the Dukes of York has been marked by murder, mystery and suffering.
The fates of the two princes remains unknown (Image: Print Collector, Print Collector/Getty Images)

The murdered princes.

Edward IV’s second son, Richard of Shrewsbury, inherited the title Duke of York, while his older brother Edward was set to one day become king

But when Richard was around nine years old, he and his elder brother Edward were locked up in the Tower of London by their uncle, the Duke of Gloucester. Neither of them was ever seen again.

Henry became increasingly unstable after being injured in a jousting accident (Image: Eric VANDEVILLE, Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)

The much-married monarch

Following his brother Arthur Tudor’s unexpected death at the age of 15, the holder of the title Duke of York ascended the throne as King Henry VIII.

A vengeful, extravagant character, Henry’s life is today largely remembered for his six ill-fated marriages, as well as the acrimonious split with the Catholic Church that sparked a series of brutal wars.

After the short-lived Tudor dynasty came to an end, the allied House of Stuart assumed the English throne, uniting the kingdoms of England and Scotland for the first time.

Charles was executed for treason against his own country (Image: Heritage Images, Heritage Images via Getty Images)

The king who lost his head.

Once again, the expected heir to the throne died before becoming king, and Charles, Duke of York, the second son of King James VI of Scotland, ascended as King Charles I.

Years of tension with Parliament culminated in a savage civil war and the execution of Charles in Whitehall, London.

There was an 11-year interregnum before Charles’s son—also named Charles—ascended the throne in May 1660.

King James II died in exile in Paris (Image: Print Collector, Getty Images)

Death in exile.

Charles II fathered many sons by his numerous mistresses but had no legitimate children with his wife, Catherine of Braganza. The succession thus passed to his brother, James—another former Duke of York.

James II ruled for just three years before being ousted by Parliament in favour of his sister Mary. Despite various plots to restore him to the throne—and a bizarre plan to make him King of Poland—James’s life ended in exile.

King George V and Queen Mary shortly after their marriage (Image: Heritage Images, Getty Images)

End of empire.

At the beginning of the 20th century, another Duke of York—unexpectedly—became king following the death of his older brother.

While George V’s life wasn’t marked by personal tragedies like some of his predecessors, his reign was a turbulent one, characterised by the rise of socialism, communism, fascism, Irish republicanism, and the Indian independence movement—all of which destabilised the vast empire he had inherited.

King George VI will be the best-remembered Duke of York, Richard says (Image: Heritage Images, Getty Images)

The reluctant king

George V’s son, Edward VIII, reigned for less than a year before abdicating to marry American divorcée Wallis Simpson, thrusting his younger brother, Albert, Duke of York, into the spotlight.

Known as George VI, he had been a delicate child who was “easily frightened and somewhat prone to tears.”

He wasn’t seen as natural king material, and there were even discussions at the time about breaking the official line of succession in favour of Prince George, Duke of Kent, instead.

Despite writing in his diary that he had “broken down and sobbed like a child” upon learning he was to be king, George overcame a severe stutter to become an inspirational wartime figurehead, giving regular speeches on the radio.

WINDSOR, ENGLAND – APRIL 20: Prince Andrew, Duke of York, looks round as he leaves after attending the Easter Matins Service at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle on April 20, 2025 in Windsor, England. (Photo by Kirsty Wigglesworth – WPA Pool/Getty Images) (Image: WPA Pool, Getty Images)

Andrew is unlikely to recover from his current troubles (Image: Getty)

The second sons

The trials and tribulations of the most recent Duke of York, born in February 1960, are well known. As for his possible successor, it’s likely that the title will be left to rest for a generation, allowing current scandals to fade.

Six of the eleven times the title Duke of York has been created, the holder became king—but rarely a happy one.

Being a second son in a monarchy is rarely straightforward, as Prince Harry—who, in another timeline, might well have become Duke of York himself—has often said.

In another timeline, Prince Harry might have become Duke of York (Image: Rolf Vennenbernd/dpa/Alamy Live News)

Tragic history

Richard Fitzwilliams points out that while numerous Dukes of York “have met with unfortunate ends,” most contemporary royal-watchers associate the title with George VI, who transformed from being a painfully shy, stammering Duke of York to a symbol of resistance to the Nazi threat: “The stress of his wartime role undoubtedly shortened his life,” he says.

“Ricardians, who claim Richard III was not responsible for the murder of the two princes, would know that Richard, Duke of York, was one of the Princes in the Tower,” he continues.

“Few would link the title with Henry VIII or Charles I, or know that a holder of it was killed at Agincourt.”

Richard Fitzwilliams is a world-renowned royal expert (Image: Richard Fitzwilliams)

A toxic legacy

Richard adds that from now on, the title Duke of York will inevitably be associated with the scandals surrounding Prince Andrew: “The title has now, owing to the atrocious behaviour of the current incumbent—though he denies the charges against him—become notorious worldwide.

“No one, after the Abdication crisis, would use the title Duke of Windsor; he was too well known because of the Abdication. The crisis over Andrew is far from over, but don’t expect Louis to take it on. If it has a curse, it’s Andrew